Arun Manilal Gandhi is the fifth grandson of Mohandas Gandhi through his second son Manilal

Manilal Gandhi

Manilal Mohandas Gandhi was the second of four sons of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi. Manilal was born in Rajkot, India. In 1897 Manilal traveled to South Africa for the first time, where he spent time working at the Phoenix Ashram near Durban...

. Following the footsteps of his grandfather, he is also a socio-political activist, although he eschews the ascetic

Asceticism

Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...

 lifestyle of his grandfather.
Born in Durban, South Africa on April 14, 1934 to Sushila and Manilal Gandhi

Manilal Gandhi

Manilal Mohandas Gandhi was the second of four sons of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi. Manilal was born in Rajkot, India. In 1897 Manilal traveled to South Africa for the first time, where he spent time working at the Phoenix Ashram near Durban...

, Arun's childhood days under South Africa's apartheid for someone of Indian heritage was difficult.