Why Gandhi Never Won the Nobel Peace Prize

Despite being the father of non-violence and peace, the Mahatma missed getting the prestigious prize five times though he was nominated for it. Shockingly, those far less worthy were awarded

- Saju Jakob, Nancy Shah and Himanshu Singh

MARK Twain once said: “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” But there was one half-naked man who changed the course of history forever. He taught people something that nobody could have imagined—“How to win a war without violence.”

Mahatma Gandhi is often considered a synonym for ahimsa and peace. His work, ideologies and policy of non-violent civil disobedience not only continue to leave a lasting mark, but stimulate us to stand against wrong in a peaceful way. So it is a startling realisation that despite him being a global icon of peace, Gandhi was never bestowed the Nobel Peace Prize. He was, however, nominated five times for this prestigious award—in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and 1948 following his demise.

Geir Lundestad, the 2006 Secretary of the Nobel Committee, said: “Gandhi could do without the Nobel Peace Prize but whether the Nobel committee can do without Gandhi is the question.”

So what made the Norwegian Nobel Prize Committee withhold the prize to Gandhi when the same reasons given to justify the denial by the Committee did not stop it from giving the Nobel to others? The first time Gandhi was nominated was in 1937 by Ole Colbjørnsen, a member of the Norwegian Storting (Parliament) from the Labour Party. The organisation believed that it was a critical report by Prof Jacob Worm-Muller, advisor to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, that led to Gandhi forfeiting the prize the first time. While he referred to Gandhi as “undoubtedly, a good, noble and ascetic person—a prominent man who is deservedly honoured and loved by the masses of India”, he had reservations about him as a political leader.