Dear Editor,
A two day conference in New Delhi on Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha has relevance for Guyana – solving conflict peacefully especially given the level of violence pervading the nation. A galaxy of Nobel Laureates, thinkers, academics, representatives of nations, current and former world leaders participated in the international conference on Monday and Tuesday to commemorate the centenary of Gandhi’s Satyagraha or non-violent struggle which was used as an attempt to gain equality in South Africa and freedom in India. Satyagraha was one of the greatest movements of the world paving the way for the struggle against oppression everywhere.
The world owes Gandhi a debt of gratitude for his anti-colonial struggle and prominent individuals came to Delhi to honour Gandhi.
The theme of the conference was ‘Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment: Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century’. According to organizers, the principal thrust of the two-day meet was “to give practical content to the concepts of freedom, equality, justice, peace and essential unity of humankind as well as of diverse cultures and religious beliefs.”
Chief Organizer Sharma said: “The event provided an occasion to renew the commitment of our people to the noble mission of building a world that is in peace and harmony with itself. The need for peace and non-violence is very dearly felt in today’s world which is seeing violence through terrorism and conflicts. The conference was aimed at providing a second awakening against violence.”
The two-day meeting not only praised Gandhi for his Satyagraha but also provided recommendations for conflict resolution, peace building, disarmament, poverty alleviation, social developments, empowerment, and dialogue between peoples and cultures – all of which have relevance to Guyana.
There were representatives of 83 countries at the meet with South Africa having the largest delegation. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ahmed Kathrade, who symbolised the historic struggle against the anti-apartheid regime, Nelson Mandela and Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of the Mahatma who is still living in South Africa, and others made presentations about Gandhi’s satyagraha. There were also presentations from Prime Ministers and Presidents of several countries and Grameen Bank founder and recipient of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize Mohammad Yunus.
All of them paid rich tribute to Gandhi recalling the charisma of the apostle of peace.
Mandela, who spent 28 years in prison for fighting white rule before leading South Africa to multi-racial democracy in 1994, said Gandhi’s non-violent approach was an inspiration to him. “Gandhi’s philosophy contributed in no small measure to bringing about a peaceful transformation in South Africa and in healing the destructive human divisions that had been spawned by the abhorrent practice of apartheid.”
Gandhi’s satyagraha began in Johannesburg on Sept 11, 1906. He was thrown out of a whites-only compartment on a train. That began his struggle against colonial oppression. Gandhi lived in South Africa from 1893 to 1914 before returning to India to lead the struggle for independence.
Referring to him as “the sacred warrior”, Mandela said the Mahatma combined ethics and morality with a steely resolve that refused to compromise with the oppressor.
“In a world driven by violence and strife, Gandhi’s message of peace and non-violence holds the key to human survival in the 21st century. He rightly believed in the efficacy of pitting the sole force of the satyagraha against the brute force of the oppressor and in effect converting the oppressor to the right and moral point.”
Mandela noted that both India and South Africa contributed to Gandhi’s intellectual and moral genius, and he shaped the liberation movements in both countries. “He is the archetypal anti-colonial revolutionary. His strategy of non-cooperation, his assertion that we can be dominated only if we cooperate with our dominators, and his nonviolent resistance inspired anti-colonial and antiracist movements internationally. Both Gandhi and I suffered colonial oppression, and both of us mobilized our respective peoples against governments that violated our freedoms.”
The Gandhian influence dominated freedom struggles on the African continent right up to the 1960s because of the unity it forged among the powerless.
Mandela said: “His struggle paved the way for the liberation of the colonized the world over and to develop a blueprint for a new social order.” Mandela also reminded listeners that “non-violence was the official stance of all major African coalitions, and the A.N.C. remained implacably opposed to violence for most of its existence. “I followed the Gandhian strategy for as long as I could, but then there came a point in our struggle when the brute force of the oppressor could no longer be countered through passive resistance alone. We founded Unkhonto we Sizwe and added a military dimension to our struggle. Even then, we chose sabotage because it did not involve the loss of life, and it offered the best hope for future race relations.”
Bishop Tutu noted how Gandhi disciplined himself from all material attachments and devoted himself completely and totally to eliminating violence and serving humanity.
In this era of violence that pervades the world, especially in Guyana where ethnic tensions run high, Gandhi’s message and method are very relevant. Race baiters should heed Gandhi’s call for love and harmony.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
