There are three instances - two shared in his autobiography, and one an anecdote - where the Father of the Nation called himself a bania
A number of individuals have taken umbrage to BJP President Amit Shah calling Mahatma Gandhi a Chatur Bania.
Shah during an event in Raipur said, “Mahatma Gandhi was a chatur baniya.. he knew what was going to happen" (Bahut chatur baniya tha woh, usko maloom tha aage kya hone waala hai.), said Shah speaking to a collection of “eminent persons” in Raipur.
While Shah’s comments were directly aimed at the Congress, Mahatma Gandhi in his autobiography “My Experiments With Truth” called himself a bania. In Chapter 12, titled Outcaste, when he is about to embark to England, Gandhi writes, “... Meanwhile my caste people were agitated over my going abroad. No Modh Bania had been to England up to now.”
In another section of the book (Chapter 55 Rumblings of the Storm), Gandhi writes, “I therefore determined the style of dress for my wife and children. How could I like them to be known as Kathiawad Banias?"
Meanwhile, the Times of India re-shared a 2013 article in which an anecdote was narrated by a friend of the Nawab of Palanpur, Talley Mohamad Khan, who was close to Mahatma Gandhi.
Well-acquainted with Mahatma Gandhi’s food habits, the Nawab took along goat’s milk and fruits when the former was travelling from Delhi to Palanpur. The Nawab would join the Mahatma at Amirgadh and would accompany him till Palanpur.
According to the report, the Nawab joined the Mahatma one time on a Monday, which happened to be a day when Gandhi would be silent and communicate using a slate and a chalk.
After the Mahatma's accepted the fruits and milk, the Nawab wrote three sentences on the slate. How is your health? How long will you be in Sabarmati and When will your name be being printed on real currency notes; the photos are already on playing currency notes sold to children in the bazaar?
In return, the Mahatma replied: "Better ask of the health of my co-traveller rustics on the train. I will stay in Sabarmati Ashram as long as the British wish." The Mahatma then erased the third question from the slate. When the Nawab insisted on the third question Gandhi very quietly replied on the slate. "As you have given me two things - fruits and milk - how can you expect a reply to the third question. I am a Baniya, you can't befool me
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