Famous photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Margaret Bourke-White and Max Desfor took many photos of Mahatma Gandhi. Yet, the most common image of Gandhi is the one on India’s official currency notes.
You might think that Gandhi’s picture would have been on the national currency right after India became independent in 1947, since he is the Father of the Nation. But it wasn’t until 1996 that his portrait became a constant feature on all legal banknotes issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The RBI is India’s central bank and it regulates the banking system. Now, let’s look at the story behind Gandhi’s photo on Indian currency:
The Story Behind Mahatma Gandhi’s Photo on Indian Currency
Currency notes often symbolise a nation’s sovereignty and usually feature leaders who have made significant contributions to their country’s history. For instance, US notes display George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, Pakistani currency has Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait, and Chinese notes show Mao Zedong.
In India, the national currency has had Mahatma Gandhi’s portrait for more than fifty years. These notes have been around for a long time, but they were not used right after India’s independence in 1947. It was only in 1996 that Gandhi’s portrait became a constant feature on all denominations.
How Mahatma Gandhi’s Photo Appeared on Currency
During colonial times in India, currency notes showed King George VI. After independence, his image was replaced with the national emblem, the Lion Capital at Sarnath.
Mahatma Gandhi first appeared on Indian currency notes in 1969 to honour his 100th birth anniversary. The note showed him at Sevagram Ashram. Before Gandhi, currency notes mainly displayed the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Other images were the Konark Temple (Rs 20), Brihadeeswara Temple (Rs 1,000), and Gateway of India (Rs 5,000).
Cut-out from a 1946 Photo
The picture of Gandhi on Indian currency notes is not a drawing. It’s a cut-out from a 1946 photo where he is seen with British politician Lord Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence. This image was picked because it shows Gandhi smiling.
The Reserve Bank of India’s Department of Currency Management designs Indian currency. They get approvals from the central bank and the Central government. In the 1990s, the RBI found that traditional security features were not enough because of advances in printing, scanning, and photography.
They thought that objects would be easier to forge than a human face. Gandhi was chosen for his national appeal and acceptance. The Mahatma Gandhi Series started in 1996, replacing the Ashoka Pillar. Gandhi is a respected figure internationally and is widely accepted across different ideologies and party lines.
The Mahatma Gandhi New Series
In 2016, after the government’s move to demonetise, the RBI announced the Mahatma Gandhi New Series of banknotes. Even though the colour of the notes changed, Gandhi’s portrait stayed. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan logo is also on the back.
There have been demands to include images of other leaders, gods, and goddesses on currency notes. But the RBI has always rejected these suggestions. In 2014, former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Lok Sabha that an RBI panel decided against including any other national leader’s image on banknotes. They said no other personality represents the ethos of the country better than Mahatma Gandhi.
