India, Dec. 25 -- Any serious discussion on Mahatma Gandhi must begin by discarding the dishonest habit of treating him as a moral deity instead of a historical actor. Gandhi was a towering figure of the freedom movement, and his philosophy of non-violence reshaped political resistance worldwide. That truth stands. But it does not give him a free pass for conduct that, when examined honestly, was deeply disturbing, irresponsible, and morally indefensible. One such conduct was his so-called brahmacharya experiment in old age-an episode repeatedly minimised, rationalised, or outright buried by admirers who seem more interested in protecting an icon than confronting history.

Gandhi was married. He had a wife, Kasturba, who endured decades o...