Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 8. August 2006 / Timeline August 8, 2006
Version 3.57. August 2006, 9. August 2006
08/08/2006
Statement for the Jewish Post by Arun Gandhi
Respect for all people of the world, my grandfather, Mohandas K.
Gandhi, believed can only come through the respect of all
religions. Consequently, ever since my birth in 1934, I
participated in universal prayers offered in a simple room at home
with just an oil lamp in the middle of the circle of worshippers.
We offered prayers from every major scripture of the world and grew
up learning about the Saints and myths of each. Our form of prayers
came to be known as "Gandhian Prayers" and while grandfather was
alive every morning and evening at 5 public prayers were held in
whichever town or city he was visiting. This was widely known by
all in India so that thousands congregated at the appointed time.
Among the congregants were Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims and
the many other religions represented in India. It was through this
daily practice that grandfather sought to bring about a quiet - a
nonviolent - revolution among the people of India.
Now, more than fifty years after his death when India is devastated
by religious strife people ask why was Gandhi not more forceful in
transforming the people of India? Why wasn't a law passed? Or, did
he really make an impact on the people of India with his
universality or was it just another meaningless exercise in
futility? To find answers to these and other related questions one
needs to understand the philosophy of nonviolence which was the
core of his life.
In nonviolence force of any kind is anathema. Grandfather always
maintained: "We can change people's hearts only by love, not by
law." The best way to express love is through sincere practice. In
other words, living what we want others to learn.
In spite of his attempt to transform through love he did attract
opposition from the rabid and rigid among the majority Hindu
community. Members of the Hindu Mahasabha (Conference), which
shares the philosophy of intolerance with the currently ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party, made multiple attempts to assassinate
Gandhi, a clear indication that grandfather was making a difference
in the Indian society.
Grandfather often said: "A friendly study of all the scriptures is
the sacred duty of every individual." He made the "friendly study"
of all scriptures and found that while all of them contained gems
of wisdom none of them could claim to have the "whole Truth."
As children growing up in his shadow he often told us a story from
the Upanishads (Hindu Scripture) of six blind men who were asked to
describe an elephant by feeling it. Each had a different
perspective of the elephant because each was feeling a different
part of the animal. Clearly, they were able to gain just a fraction
of the Truth, yet what little they learned was not entirely
untrue.
Our understanding of religion and its role in helping believers
attain the Whole Truth or Salvation has a bearing on this story.
Like the six blind men we have a fragment of the Truth and in our
arrogance we mistake it to be the Whole Truth. It is this arrogance
that leads us to believe that we "possess" the Truth as against
grandfather's belief that we can only "pursue" the Truth.
"Possession" leads to competition and strife, while "pursuit" leads
to cooperation and understanding, the only way peace and
understanding can prevail in the world.
08/08/2006
CONTRACTS from the United States Department of Defense
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being
awarded a $19,600,000 million firm-fixed-price contract. This
undefinitized contract action is for advanced procurement for
titanium in support of F-22A Lot 8 aircraft. At this time,
$19,600,000 million has been obligated. This work will complete
October 2009. Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
(FA8611-06-C-2899)
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