What’s in a name? Clearly, a lot! A survey shows that 25% Mumbaikars think Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are relatives.

Conducted by St Xavier’s College students to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 64th death anniversary, the survey also revealed that 16% did not know Gandhiji’s full name and 55% did not know who bestowed the title of Mahatma on him.

With Gandhiism making a comeback of sorts through Anna Hazare’s movement, the students were interested to know if people are aware of Gandhi’s philosophies, and if they are able to relate them to their lives. Around 25 students of ‘Gandhian Studies’ interviewed 8,000 people — students, housewives, doctors, businessmen, street vendors and senior citizens.

Avkash Jadhav, who teaches the course, said people’s misconception stems from the fact that there is not much information on Gandhi’s four sons in textbooks. “People’s knowledge is restricted to books and movies. Information about his sons is eclipsed in our textbooks by other events. The other family has carried forward the legacy. Hence, in case of Gandhiji and Rahul, people just connect them because of the surname,” he said.

Interestingly, 69% knew who had killed Gandhi. Aarohi Ajgaonkar, a second year student of BSc IT, said this could be because of the many films made on the subject. “Cinema has always had a powerful effect on masses’ awareness about Gandhi.”

The survey also found that people were not well read on his philosophies and ideas. Nearly, 39% blamed him for India’s partition, 28% said it wasn’t appropriate to call him ‘Father of the Nation’ and 27% accepted they had bribed people.

Jadhav said, “Schools and colleges only study his movements, not his philosophies on Hinduism, his stand on partition. He is being perceived only as a political leader and glorified as one so much that we fail to see his philosophies, which are actually relevant to us.”