Gandhi’s relevance grows in violent times
Veena Howard
March 27, 2010
On Jan. 30, 2010, the 62nd anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi’s assassination, I was once again reminded of the stories I heard about him while growing up in India.
My grandmother and parents witnessed and participated in the nonviolent struggle for India’s independence in the 1930s and 1940s. My father described Gandhi’s funeral in Delhi and the mass mourning for a simple man who fought for the principles of truth and nonviolence.
My mother told her own childhood experiences of participating in the mass protests against unjust laws, and also the stories she remembered hearing from her mother: Gandhi was a man sent by God to give India its freedom without any bloodshed, and Gandhi was a saint who had miraculous powers and no one would be able to kill him before he succeeded in his goal.
As a child, I heard of Gandhi’s accomplishments, but did not really understand the depth and breadth of his message or even its relevance for the complex problems of the modern era. Ironically, it is while living in the United States that I gravitated toward Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence and its efficacy for solving personal, social and political issues.
Sixty-two years later, in the current age of violence and terrorism, Gandhi’s legacy of nonviolence appears to be more relevant than ever. His words and his message continue to live; now they have been recorded in 100 volumes — 50,000 pages. His methods of nonviolence, or ahimsa, are used by many all over the world to confront injustices.
“I object to violence,” Gandhi argued, “because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.”
This is my understanding of his message:
1. Nonviolence is not passive, but an active principle. “My creed of nonviolence is an extremely active force. It has no room for cowardice.”
2. The method of nonviolence requires diligent preparation. Gandhi compared the training of a nonviolent activist to the boot camp training of a soldier. The difference is that soldiers are trained to kill, but nonviolent activists are trained to acquire soul-force for loving the other, and readiness to sacrifice their lives to confront injustice.
3. Nonviolence is not merely abstaining from violence; rather, it is fighting peacefully against injustice. It is also the practice of compassion and love.
4. The practice of nonviolence requires a transformation of the whole being — the practice of honesty, truth, simplicity and other moral principles in all walks of life. We must embody the change we want to see in our family, community and world.
Reflecting on the intention of the assassin who meant to silence nonviolence with gunshots, I realize how little he knew that the sound of the shots would resound all over the world and carry with it the message of nonviolence. Little did we know that in the death of the man who dedicated his life for ahimsa, the power of nonviolence would become immortal.
“The Season of Nonviolence” concludes with a concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at Unity of the Valley Church. Veena Howard practices “The Way of Sages,” a contemplative tradition of Hinduism. This column is coordinated by Lane Interfaith Alliance to offer inspiration, share personal spiritual experiences and bring a deeper understanding of individual faith perspectives with the intention of blessing our community and the world. For information, visit www.laneinterfaithalliance.org or call 541-344-0430.