NAMES: "Ghandi" vs "Gandhi"

Let's face it: Americans routinely have trouble with the spelling of the name of Mahatma Gandhi. You will regularly see it rendered "Ghandi" (or worse) in informal writing, on the Web and elsewhere. One site had to change a page because of this problem:

quotes from ghandi
The Quotes from Ghandi has been changed to Quotes from Gandhi (http://www.sfheart.com/Gandhi.html) ...
www.sfheart.com/ghandi.html - 2k

And for years, I have had this quasi-funny button on my desk:

Today, I got an e-mail about a talk at a major New York-based university by  a prominent Indian academic (original invite below):

"Subject: Friday  March 23, 2007 - Dr. Angelie Ghandi's talk"

Turns out, you guessed it, about Dr. ANJALI GANDHI, a professor of women's studies at Jamia Milia Islamia, one of the most important universities in India.

[ The original e-mail message ]

Subject: Friday  March 23, 2007 - Dr. Angelie Ghandi's talk

Women's Studies Certificate Program
and
Center for the Study of Women and Society

proudly announce:

Curbing Gender-Based Violence Through Experiments in Engaging Young Men

Dr. Angelie Ghandi, Honorary Director for Women's Studies, Jamia Milliah Islamia, India

The Ninth Annual Beatrice Kachuk Lecture on Women in India

Come join us:
Friday, March 23
4:00 - 6:00 pm

The Graduate Center, City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016
212-817-8905