GANDHI, NONVIOLENCE AND THE UNITED STATES
Speech at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New York, on the fiftieth anniversary of the assassinationof Mahatma Gandhi, January 30, 1948E. S. Reddy
Dr. JayaramanLadies and Gentlemen,I was very happy to hear that Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan - and its Centres all over India and abroad -will observe the year from today as the "Year of Non-violence".The Bhavan was founded with the blessings of Gandhiji - incidentally it is the 60th anniversary of the Bhavan this year, and this New York Centre was opened on the birthday of Gandhiji - and it hasdone much to make the writings and teachings of Gandhiji known as widely as possible.It is amazing how widely he is remembered, studied, and admired fifty years after his death, andhow many people and movements around the world continue to be inspired by him. There is noparallel except with Prophets like Jesus and Buddha and Mohammed. That is in part because he isso relevant today.Gandhiji now belongs not merely to India, nor to South Africa which also lays claim, but to theUnited States and the world.I can do no better than quote Nelson Mandela who said:"The Gandhian philosophy of peace, tolerance and non-violence began in South Africa as apowerful instrument for social change... This weapon was effectively used in India toliberate her people. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., used it to combat racism in theUnited States of America..."And he continued:"We must never lose sight of the fact that the Gandhian philosophy may be a key to humansurvival in the twenty-first century."This fiftieth anniversary is being observed in many countries.An international seminar is now being held in Delhi and Wardha.A multi-faith service was held in London today; it was organised by Richard Attenborough and theGandhi Foundation, in cooperation with the High Commissioners of India and South Africa and theCommonwealth Secretary-General.
A number of groups have joined Arun Gandhi in organising the observance of the period from the50th anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi - that is today - and the 30th anniversaryof the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4th, as a "Season of Non-violence".A Conference is being held at the Florida International University on the thought of Gandhiji, Dr.King and Jose Marti of Cuba.I have also heard of observances at the Tolstoy Farm in South Africa and in Malaysia.Here at the Bhavan in New York, today's event is only a modest inaugural event in the spirit of Gandhiji - to be followed by a year of dedication, appropriately called the "Year of Non-violence".***Non-violence encompasses many things and is almost as broad as the thought of Mahatma Gandhi.We, in India, have a fondness for naming the most positive concepts in negative terms - like non-alignment, non-cooperation, and non-violence.Non-violence in terms of ending violence among human beings is peace between and amongnations.Non-violence in thought is the abandonment of hatred and the living together of people of allreligions and nations in harmony and mutual respect.Non-violence in relation to nature is the protection of environment.And non-violence is, of course, satyagraha - the courageous defiance of unjust laws. It is theending of exploitation, and of abuse of the weaker members of society.I hope and trust that the observance of the Year of Non-violence will not be confined to the Indiancommunity but will involve the American people as widely as possible.For, both India and America not only have long traditions of non-violence (although it was neverthe dominant tradition in America and only rarely in India, as perhaps in the time of EmperorAsoka); they are today very much in need of the message of non-violence.They have both been greatly influenced by Gandhiji.Gandhiji could not visit the United States but had many friends and admirers here.Americans were perhaps the largest national group, apart from Indians, who visited Gandhiji at hisAshrams.
In June 1893, after Gandhiji was thrown off the train in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, thenassaulted in a coach, and refused a hotel room in Johannesburg - that was perhaps the beginning of his enlightenment - he reached Pretoria, his destination, at night - without a place to stay. It was anAfrican-American who understood his plight and took him to an inn which was run by anAmerican, Mr. Johnston.The satyagraha led by Gandhiji in South Africa, was little known in America. Myron H. Phelps, aNew York attorney and friend of Indian nationalists, met Gandhiji in London and wrote about thestruggle in 1909.We know that Mahatma Gandhi inspired Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as he launched the CivilRights Movement in the 1960s.Sudarshan Kapur has shown in his excellent study that African-American leaders had been inspiredby Gandhiji and had considered the relevance of his thought to the racial problem in the UnitedStates for a long time before, especially since the 1920s.It was not only the African-Americans who were inspired by Gandhiji.Gandhiji was admired by many leaders of the churches espousing the "social gospel" - I supposethey would be called the exponents of "liberation theology" today - and leaders of various socialmovements. They were greatly encouraged when they saw that Gandhiji was able to secure a massfollowing while they had been part of small isolated groups in America.The best interviews with Gandhiji were with Americans - Dr. John R. Mott, the head of the WorldYMCA and later President of the International House in New York; Margaret Sanger, the leader of the movement for birth control; the African-American delegation led by Dr. Howard Thurman;Louis Fischer; and Vincent Sheean.His closest friend in America was perhaps Dr. John Haynes Holmes, founder of the CommunityChurch and its pastor for over 40 years. As early as 1921, Reverend Holmes delivered a sermonthat Gandhi was "the Great Man in the World Today" - and was instrumental in spreading themessage of Gandhi in the United States.Reverend Holmes was one of the founders and leaders of the National Association for theAdvancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union.Holmes was also one of the founders of the War Resisters League which - along with Fellowship of Reconciliation - was the main American group propagating and practising non-violent action. [A. J.Muste, its leader for many years, was a follower of the Mahatma.] The League is observing its 75thanniversary this year.Other friends of Gandhi include:Sherwood Eddy and E.C. Carter, leaders of the YMCA;
Search History:
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
p.
Gandhi, Nonviolence and the United States, 1998
A speech by E. S. Reddy at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in New York on Gandhi, Nonviolence and the United States
503
Reads
0
Readcasts
0
Embed Views
More From This User
Notes
Load more
