Mahatma Gandhi News Digest, Germany : Issue for July 10-16, 2006
Terrorists Are As Guilty As Their Accusers
Newswatch – Nigeria – by Modupe Ogunbayo – July 16, 2006
At first glance, Bernard Lafayette Junior sounds like a good substitute for Bill Cosby, the American comedian. A senior Martin Luther King’s aide, he was one of the masterminds of the Freedom Rides in 1961. He also participated in the historical nonviolent marches of the 1960s. He was with King the morning he was assassinated. For nearly fifty years, he has kept the Luther King’s Nonviolence Movement alive with the help of others. He is an ordained minister and earned his BA from the American Baptist Theological Seminary while his Ed.M and Ed.D from Harvard University. He has held teaching appointments at the Columbia Theological Seminary and Harvard University. He is currently the distinguished-scholar-in-residence, and director at the Centre for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island, United States. He spoke to Modupe Ogunbayo, senior staff writer, recently in Johannesburg, South Africa. Excerpts:
Newswatch: The nonviolence movement has withstood time. Is it due to Martin Luther King Junior’s personality or is it the message that has lasted?
LaFayette: I think each generation as people are able to express their message and to make it real and to speak that message to the relevance of the time. Martin Luther King was able to do that not only by applying this message during his lifetime but by demonstrating how it could be put into practice also. He inspired and influenced many people during his generation. And I think each generation has the people who can spread a worthy message by keeping it alive; you need people who can keep the message alive because you need the message for all generations and for all times and for all places where human beings live together.
Newswatch: How has nonviolence movement been able to divorce itself from internal happenings of countries it has been spread to?
LaFayette: Nonviolence transcends politics. It is not confined or limited to a geographical area or to the politics of a particular area. In some parts, so many struggles the people had, was to gain power for power sake. In such instances, they just attempt to gain power not to make a difference but to make a statement like the politician for example. They are not in politics to make decisions that would make life easier for the people apart from getting their own selfish ends on behalf of themselves and a few others. So this happens and all sort of things happen and all manner of conflicts arise as a consequence and philosophy, some more dramatically than others. Nonviolence becomes a pervasive methodology that can have impact at the global level not just to mediate in these conflicts but act as a preventive measure. It is not culture-bound; it is not determined by someone’s personality; or his religion or a nationality. Therefore, nonviolence can be appropriated to any situation in human interaction.
Newswatch: Is there a synergy between the fact that as a higher animal, man is not immune from animalistic instinct for violence to achieve his aims and man’s endless quest for power?
LaFayette: Well, I would think that Martin Luther King’s view would be that we are of a common origin, share a common existence and come from a common root as human beings. The behaviour towards the acquisition of power is something that is taught rather than what human beings are born with. So I would argue that people are taught that way and we are able to see the difference in people who have changed or have renounced violence. But to what extent is power used? Power acquisition is normal but Napoleon said power acquired by force is temporary. He said that after witnessing his war conquests and defeat so eventually he realised power acquired by force is temporary. So I agree with him.
Newswatch: People fail to draw the difference between passive resistance as espoused by Mahatma Ghandi and Nonviolence as laid down by Martin Luther King Junior. Nonviolence is also confused with Christianity. What are the differences?
LaFayette: There are aspects of nonviolence in all religions. There are always admonitions of peaceful co-existence with one another. So Nonviolence has a lot of things in common with all religions. Now, Martin Luther King learnt from Mahatma Ghandi and studied his philosophy. Ghandi was one man who refused to co-exist with violence so by trying to fight with it, he came up with passive resistance. In passive resistance, you do not use violent methods to express your discontent. He used peaceful means to express his discontent. Martin Luther King too; learning from Ghandi, Tolstoy, Jesus Christ, evolved a similar movement. But he realised that as were devout Christians so were there devout Hindus also, and devout Muslims and so on who desire Nonviolence to express their discontent. Though they suffer a lot in these struggles, they believe there is a higher spiritual force that could let one withstand the violence.
Newswatch: In some cultures, especially in Africa and in some Oriental cultures, it is considered a sign of weakness not to retaliate with violence if attacked. What is the rate of success of nonviolence in these cultures where cultural factors do not encourage its spread and acceptance?
LaFayette: The most critical challenge facing nonviolence is its misinterpretation to mean non-action or non-resistance in the face of opposition. That is not the definition of nonviolence as the concept laid down by Martin Luther King. There are actions not inactions, which must be taken to address violence. The force of manliness and physical force as taught by martial arts can still be in place despite being nonviolent. It takes these for someone to be nonviolent.
Newswatch: You are about to leave for Israel, one of the troubled spots in the Middle East. What is always at the back of your mind when going to such places?
LaFayette: What is always at the back of my mind is the purpose and it is that nonviolence tackles violence more effectively. The troubled spots of the world where violence is prevalent need the antidote of Nonviolence. Those places are places where Nonviolence needs to be appropriated.
Newswatch: You have been kidnapped before in Colombia, doesn’t going to Israel pose a similar risk especially to an American?
LaFayette: All I can say is that the people and the situation are different. People from different cultures are likely to behave in different ways. Israel is not likely to be as brutal. But maybe it would be a tougher terrain, it is hard to tell.
Newswatch: While held hostage, how did you cope?
LaFayette: What was always in my mind is always what is in my mind whenever I wake up in the morning. Maybe I could rephrase the question: Howcould I appropriate the knowledge that I have to make a positive difference to as many people as possible? So it does not matter where I am. The kidnappers were concerned about what would happen to me if I went to Columbia than not going at all.
Newswatch: As an apostle of nonviolence, what is your view on the ongoing war on terrorism?
LaFayette: First of all, I would want to define terrorism. It is a generic term that people use for a whole lot of reasons and I would want to understand why a person who was not violent before and was a compatriot becomes a terrorist. Then I would need to examine the behaviour of the person causing the terrorism act. Then I would compare these. We would see the problem in this analysis. So it depends on who is talking. Who is making the accusations? And who is accused of terrorism? Often you find the accusers often behaving the same way as the accused.
Newswatch: In almost five decades of travelling round the world as a nonviolence trainer, what are the personal challenges you have faced?
LaFayette: The personal challenge I first faced was how to move as quickly as possible to get this message of nonviolence to every part of the world. Then having to be proficient in as many languages as possible was another challenge in spreading the message.
Newswatch: How does your family cope in your absence?
LaFayette: Well, my wife and I, the children are all grown up now, they love to see me go and they love to see me back at home. Whenever I get home, I tried getting some quality time with the family, do things together with them to keep the bond stronger every time. Just the other day, I went shopping for two of my grandchildren. For the last two months, we have gone to Spain. Two weeks ago, we were in Colombia and would be in South Africa in September and maybe later this year travel together to the United Kingdom. So we spend quite a lot of time together. I miss them very much and they also miss me but then, the calling has to be fulfilled.
Newswatch: Is your wife also a nonviolence trainer?
LaFayette: Yes. Kate was certified this year on Level 2. She is retired.
Newswatch: And the children?
LaFayette: They are Bernard and Chris and both are in their forties, one of them has health complications. He was involved in the training with me.
Newswatch: The Nonviolence method of conflict mediation is new to Nigerians. What are your expectations?
Lafayette: I am still learning a lot about the country though I have been very impressed with what I have learnt. I walked into a hotel in Nigeria and the first thing I saw as I walked out of the elevator beside the staircase was the picture of Martin Luther King on the wall. I would not find that too often in the US. It makes me confident to know there are Nigerians who respect him profoundly. I have very high expectations for the spread of the doctrine of nonviolence in Nigeria. Already, everywhere I go, I talk and boast about Nigeria, I boast about the country and its potentials of being one of the African countries at the forefront of the Nonviolence struggle. I cannot wait to see this happen, I hope I live long enough to experience this. However, nonviolence is a pilgrimage.
Newswatch: What do all countries desiring Nonviolent centres need to do?
LaFayette: We get invitations from diverse peoples. I may not be able to go all the time but feel fulfilled we can send people to respond to the situations. We, however, go to countries based on invitation from credible agencies.
Newswatch: What would you say to those who believe Nonviolence would not work?
LaFayette: I agree with those people who say it would not work. Nonviolence is like an aeroplane, it does not work by itself, it needs people to make it work. So people must work on it to make it work. Those who say it would not work say so simply because they do not understand the philosophy.
Newswatch: Martin Luther King in one of his writings called The Drum Major Instinct specified what he would want to be remembered for. What would you want to be remembered for?
LaFayette: I would want to be remembered as a teacher who loved to teach and someone who loved the people that I teach.
His Puppy Saved His Life
Press Release Newswire – USA – July 16, 2006
How a puppy taught her master an invaluable lesson in healing and how this man used it to treat his own cancer, and help thousands recover from serious diseases. Recently published ebook “Detox Bath” outlines this discovery.
(PRWEB) July 16, 2006 — How a puppy taught her master an invaluable lesson in healing and how this man used it to treat his own cancer, and help thousands recover from serious diseases.
On a fresh spring day back in the 1870s, a young man aged 25, who was severely ill with lung cancer, went to rest on his farm accompanied by his puppy, in search for a haven of fresh air and tranquillity.
When his playful puppy broke her leg, despite his own suffering, he lovingly nursed her.
He couldn’t help but notice her peculiar routine: She was incessantly licking her wound and the area around her groin. The puppy refused to eat her food and instead, accepted only water.
Perplexed at her curious behaviour, the man scrutinised his little dog.
Eight days after incessantly licking her injury and groin, the lively puppy was back jumping and down up on its paws, and resumed a perfectly normal life. At the same time the man’s condition worsened, as he endured soaring fever and violent headaches.
Having observed his puppy’s astonishing recovery, the man concluded that there must have been more to her incessant licking of her wounded paw and groin, then just cleansing.
One day, burning with fever, he decides to experiment. Soaking a cloth in cold water he works on his groin, as he had seen his puppy do.
His relief is almost immediate. The headache subsides and the fever drops significantly. He is stunned by the results, although he still doesn’t quite understand how this incredible method works.
This, for the man was the beginning of a healing adventure of a lifetime. While his young father had succumbed to cancer, the man lived in good health and dedicated his life to healing a wide spectrum of diseases using his amazing discovery.
This young man’s name was Louis Kuhne, and he went on to become a highly reputed and respected naturopath and healer in the 19th century. He set up an establishment in Leipzig, Germany in 1883, where severely ill patients came to him from around the world as a last resort, and were healed thanks to the method he developed and perfected. He called this method the “friction sitz bath”.
Mahatma Gandhi, one of the wisest and most inspired thinkers and humanitarians who ever lived, was also a keen naturopath. He practised, and strongly recommended Kuhne’s bath method, for toxin elimination and healing.
He discussed it in a correspondence to Nehru on January 17th, 1929 saying:
“I utterly distrust doctors’ reports, I strongly recommend Kuhne’s bath and sun baths.”
Detox Bath is an ebook recently published by Dream Team Publishing in the UK. It is based on Kuhne’s friction sitz bath. It is a revival of an ancestral, highly effective healing and detox method.
The Detox Bath is the result of centuries of experimentation with the healing properties and benefits of water and hydrotherapy. It constitutes an ideal home remedy for anyone seeking to naturally and effectively eliminate toxins and fat, and achieve vibrant health. It is a tool which nature generously provides us with to help us maintain our body and health in optimal condition.
Go to:
http://www.pureinsideout.com/prweb-learn
To learn more about the Detox Bath and download the first 2 chapters free.
The writer in exile
Deccan Herald – India – July 16, 2006
Malathi Rao profiles one of the stalwarts of Indian writing in English, who elected to settle abroad but carried his Indianness within himself.
The announcement of Raja Raos death on July 7 in Austin, Texas took my memory back to 50 years ago when I was a student in Central College. Our Friday Literary Club had invited the legendary figure to address the group.
Excitement ran high among us students for Indian Writers in English was a newly introduced subject for the third year English Hons course and Raja Rao along with R K Narayan and Mulk Raj Anand formed the pioneering group of this new genre.
But you could depend on Raja Rao to turn the afternoon rather into a dialogue than a dry one-way lecture. He spoke of sadhana as imperative to a well-lived life and of his sojourn at the ashram of Narayan Guru in Kerala where he had gone on a spiritual retreat.
Sadhana according to the Sanskrit Dictionary embodies performance, fulfillment and application of self with an object in mind. It implies striving and completion of a goal. The young audience looked up to the author as a cult figure but at the same time expressed their criticism of his immigration to the US. It seemed one of the ironies of fate that this Indian, whose roots ran deep into the spiritual heritage of Hinduism, should choose to live and die in exile.
To Raja Rao, the artist however, his exile seemed to involve complex issues. As it did so to many other great writers like Borges, Joyce and Hemingway whose creative springs saw a way of surviving on alien soil, in imaginary homelands.
To Raja Rao, the advaitin the world was not something out there but what is within you and as Samkara would put it the fusion of the outside and the self occurs when Maya or illusion of the phenomenal world is shattered by the advaitins razor-sharp mind.
It is this philosophy of illusion and reality that gives the title to The Serpent and the Rope. Published in the 50s, it took the Western critics by storm and Time magazine hailed Raja Rao as a genius who gave a new dimension to time and space in the life of man in terms of eastern metaphysical thought. Raja Rao was seen as comparable to Camus but with a difference. Whereas Mersault the hero of The Stranger was caught in the existential dilemma of living from moment to moment with the certainty of death turning his life into a tragedy, Ramas problem in The Serpent and the Rope derived from abstract thought and was related to the annihilation of illusion through knowledge of the Eternal One. Death was not an end, a full stop, but a release into a higher destiny.
Both Camus and Raja Rao were seekers of truth through the medium of the novel but for Raja Rao the quest was for the metaphysical man who is all consciousness not in existential terms but in terms of spiritual crisis and advancement. For Camus hero, consciousness brought acute awareness of the body from moment to disconnected moment in a bizarre existence which ended in death.
For all his engagement with the abstract world of mind and thought, Raja Rao was attracted to Gandhian politics and the Independence movement which form the theme of his first novel Kanthapura. Murthy, the Gandhian hero, stands for the principle of ahimsa which is inexplicable to the western rational mind. The irrational in man can light the creative spark where logic and reason have failed and Raja Rao saw this in action in Gandhis satyagraha movement.
Raja Rao could not but be drawn to the unpredictable and the unfathomable in Gandhis personality whom he regarded as a Mahatma. The same curiosity made him seek out shamans, artists, gurus who had a magical hold on ordinary mortals. Kanthapura was a path breaking work which gave a new definition to the novel a sthala purana for which Raja had to forge a new language.
In the winter of 1976, I had occasion to glimpse Raja Rao again when he attended the Commonwealth Literature Conference in New Delhi where he charmed the delegates with his presence. By now he had made America his home which gave him the status of a non-resident Indian. How much of his Indian-ness did he still retain? His writings were few and far between but his cult followers kept track of every word he wrote.
At times Raja Rao has provoked his critics to see him as an elitist choosing to write about esoteric subjects, but then he can also come out with a collection of elegant stories like, On the Ganga Ghat which was reviewed with such élan by Khushwant Singh; and there is Kanthapura, an all-time classic of rural India.
True, a writer like R K Narayan never felt the need to leave small town Mysore and was content to write from the middle class milieu of Malgudi. And Mulk Raj, who could easily have settled in London in his youth and continued to write from there, was compelled to return to India because of his commitment to the underdog and the poor masses. All of which is to say that the spectrum of Indian writing in English is enriched by the diversity of the three stalwarts.
Today, Raja Rao is no more. Born in a Hassan village, his journey through life and his death in America perhaps reinforces ones idea of the element of the irrational in the life of man.
Tibetan PM reminds youths of refugee status
Phayul.com – India – by Vibhor Mohan – July 14, 2006
Dharamsala, July 13: The re-elected Tibetan Prime Minister, Mr Samdhong Rinpoche, here today called upon the Tibetan youth to give up their lavish lifestyle, as they should keep in mind that they were refugees and should work hard.
In an interview with The Tribune in his office at the headquarters of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, he said, I do not subscribe to taking financial aids from sponsors and voluntary organisations and by now, we should have become self-reliant. But the Tibetan community continues to depend on financial aids.
I had made an unpopular statement nearly five years back that the Tibetan youths were not facing the problem of unemployment but the problem of unwillingness to work. Things have not changed in these years, he added.
A lot of Tibetans have become lazy and have adopted an affluent lifestyle, as if they have forgotten that they are refugees. I am a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi and firmly believe that we should understand what are our needs and should not indulge in an affluent lifestyle, he added.
The Dalai Lama, he said, had thought of a long-term strategy for the Tibetan community, along with Jawaharlal Nehru. All Tibetans were allotted lands in the settlement areas and they could take up agriculture and lead a decent life. But this was not being done and the land was being used only for cash crops and the Tibetans had to purchase food items from the market.
Besides, he said, all Tibetan settlements had co-operative societies and these could do a lot of business for the community. So, the idea is that we should concentrate on agriculture and small-scale industry so that we become self-reliant, he said.
Mr Rinpoche added that steps would be taken to promote the Tibetan alternative system of medicine along with ayurveda. The use of acupuncture has proved very successful in the Tibetan settlements in southern India in curing chronic diseases, he said.
He further said the government-in-exile was working on implementing the new educational policy in Tibetan educational institutions. This included holding refresher courses for teachers so that their knowledge was updated.
A health policy was also being chalked out and awareness regarding the prevention of diseases would also be given importance, along with treatment. We plan to make greater allocations for carrying out awareness campaigns for the prevention of diseases like AIDS, cancer and tuberculosis, he said.
Asfandyar Wali Khan meets PM
NewKerala.com – India – July 13, 2006
New Delhi, Jul 12: The ongoing peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad is understood to have come up for discussion when Pakistan Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Accompanied by a five-member party delegation, the Pathan leader is here since Monday on an eight-day visit aimed at furthering bilateral relations and people-to-people contact.
On his second visit in two years, the grandson of Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan met the Prime Minister during which the ongoing dialogue process and peace initiatives between the two countries are believed to have figured, official sources said.
India and Pakistan have taken a series of confidence building measures (CBMs) over the past two years, complimenting the overall improvement of bilateral ties.
However, continued terror incidents are casting a shadow on the bilateral ties.
Gaffar Khan, a towering figure of Pakistan, had close ties with Mahatma Gandhi and participated in the freedom struggle together. His stature earned Gaffar Khan the title of Frontier Gandhi.
When Asfandyar Khan’s father Khan Abdul Wali Khan passed away on January 27 this year, Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Rehman Khan represented India at his funeral at Peshawar. He also carried Singh’s condolence message.
Mahatma Gandhi’s statue unveiled in Ulaanbaatar
NewKerala.com – India – July 12, 2006
New Delhi: A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
Dikshit along with Ulaanbaatar Governor and Mayor T Batbayar unveiled the statue in a function organised on Mahatma Gandhi Street in the Monglolian capital yesterday, according to an official release here today.
The event coincided with the 800th anniversary of Mongolia’s statehood, which is known as ‘Naadam’.
Speaking on the occasion, Dikshit said, “I am confident that this historic event will bring the people of two great civilisations of Asia closer and foster the bonds of friendship between New Delhi and Ulaanbaatar, which enjoy sister city relations.” She noted that Gandhi’s message of truth, non-violence and love was well-known throughout the world.
Batbayar said the statue of Gandhi in Ulaanbaatar will let the world see that Mongolia is a country which keeps peace and justice. “It will become the symbol of our two nations’ historical friendship and cooperation,” he said.
Dikshit called on the President, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament to convey the greeting of the Government and people of India on the occasion of `Naadam’.
She also attended the banquet hosted by the Mongolian President.
Dikshit is scheduled to leave for Delhi tomorrow.
We are ready for any enquiry: Medha Patkar
The Hindu – India – July 12, 2006
NEW DELHI: Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Tuesday said the notice given to the Andolan by the Supreme Court on charge of `sedition’ in a public interest litigation application was a challenge to people’s movements. “The notice has not been received by us but it has already been given a lot of propaganda and publicity.”
“We consider that the politically-motivated notice is a warning to movements who are challenging the usurpation of people’s rights and their natural resources at the hands of national and multinational corporate powers. It is ironical that while the Ambanis, Jindals and Mittals are given red carpet treatment and the government is handing them over the land and water of the country, the tribals and farmers are either shot dead in Kalinga Nagar or face submergence,” she said addressing a press conference here.
Answering questions, Ms. Patkar said the NBA will file its response to the notice when it receives it. “We are ready for any enquiry. If there is anything illegal we are ready to go to jail. It will be nothing new for us. They want to finish the moral support to the NBA and want that the development model of the Government should not be questioned. Rahul Banerjee, named in the petition, was never an activist of the NBA and has never given or taken money from NBA.”
Sitting under a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Ms. Patkar said the NBA had never raised a stone at anyone. “Our deficit finances and sources of income are an open book. We get small donations from supporters all over India and from funds raised by the people in villages in the valley. The charges against us are the same rehashed, imaginary, twisted and half-baked ones made seven years ago by the same V.K. Saxena who was booked by the Ahmedabad police for assault on me at a post-Godhra riots meeting I was participating in. He was also involved in the assault on Mallika Sarabhai.”
She said the struggle for the people of the Narmada valley would continue despite the court order and Prime Minister’s recommendation not to stop the construction of the Narmada dam in Gujarat. “The Court did not adjudicate in the matter nor heard us. The Shunglu report was handed to us at 11 a.m. and the hearing was at 2 p.m. without giving the affected persons time to study the report and respond. The next hearing has been set for end of monsoon season, and the Madhya Pradesh Government has been given further time to complete rehabilitation.”
She said the Shunglu report could not stand the test of any social and scientific research. “We had hoped that the former Comptroller and Auditor General would have brought out the truth on rehabilitation within the framework of law and justice in clear terms but it has not done so.” Ms. Patkar said the report, contradictory as it was, did not vindicate the stand taken by the Secretary of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement sub-group and the Chairman of the Narmada Control Authority for allowing raising the height of the Narmada dam as rehabilitation up to 121.92 metres had not been done.
Victoria Memorials new acquisition from Sept: 71-yr-old autograph book
Indian Express – India – by Sharmi Adhikary – July 10, 2006
Kolkata, July 9: MOHANDAS Karamchand Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, Khan Adbul Gaffar Khan, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sarojini Naidu, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Indira Gandhi the illustrious list is unending.
The names bring back memories of the glorious history of India. And to invoke the same patriotic fervour, Victoria Memorial is all set to include among its collectibles a rare 71-year-old autograph book for public perusal.
This personal collection of Gita Biswas, Netajis niece and Sarat Chandra Boses daughter, will be received by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on September 6, at a function to commemorate the 117th birth centenary of Biswas father.
I had first expressed my desire to hand over my book to Teen Murti House in New Delhi, but Dr Chitta Panda, the curator and director of Victoria Memorial, was adamant that this piece of history should not leave Bengal. The Governor, who is the chairman of Victoria Memorial, was also amazed to see the book and told me that it should be preserved for the future generations, said Gita Biswas.
The book is indeed unique. The delicate pages, yellowed with age, bear the signatures of almost all historical greats of India.
Mahatma Gandhi used to take Rs 5 when he gave an autograph to anyone, but since I was Netajis niece, he took Rs 10 from me. Netaji, whom I lovingly called Rangakaka, wrote a whole letter to me in this book. Pandit Nehru signed in this book thrice, each time he came over to our house in Kolkata, recalled Biswas.
There are also some letters written by Netaji, which belong to Chitra Ghosh, Biswas sister. We have not thought about handing over the letters as of now, she said.
It is a privilege to be getting such a precious piece of history. The people coming to the museum will be exhilarated. This is happening just because of the Governors interest, said Chitta Panda.
The museum authorities have also decided that if the public wants to have a copy of their favourite leaders autographs, they will do it for them.
The book was in a tattered condition and hence we took the responsibility of its conservation. If the public wants a copy, it will be available in exchange for a fee, said Panda.
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