MAHATMA SERVED IN THE BRITISH ARMY

 Sainik Samachar, a journal brought out by the Ministry of Defence, has whipped up a controversy by claiming that Mahatma Gandhi donned a British military uniform during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Historians, however, insist that Gandhi, the quintessential symbol of non-violent resistance against British rule, never fought alongside them in Africa. An article published in the journal's edition dated October 9, 1977, opens with these lines: "It might seem surprising but it is true that in the year 1899 Mahatma Gandhi donned a British military uniform." The article headlined "When Gandhi donned soldier's uniform" forms part of a coffee-table book being brought out by the defence ministry to mark the centenary of the defence journal on January 2, 2009.