candypreet
09-11-2006, 01:44 PM
Indians mark 100th anniversary of Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence
The Associated Press
Published: September 11, 2006
NEW DELHI As much of the world marked Sept. 11 by commemorating the 2001 attacks on the United States, India celebrated it as a day of peace — the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of peaceful resistance, or "Satyagraha."
Over the past century, Gandhi's doctrine of using nonviolent means to strive for justice has been a rallying call for Indians to throw off British colonial rule, and an inspiration for Martin Luther King Jr. and for South Africa's peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.
Even today, when India has cast aside its socialist-style economy to firmly embrace capitalism, leaders say Gandhi's values — which also promoted a frugal lifestyle — are relevant.
"By the force of moral example and restraint in the face of vicious provocation, Gandhi and his followers were able to effect a change of heart in their oppressors," said a statement from the ruling Congress party, which ordered a year of events to mark the occasion.
Most Indians marked the day with art exhibitions, charity events and tributes, although some accused the government of failing to live up to Gandhi's spirit.
On Sept. 11, 1906, Gandhi, then a young, little-known lawyer working in South Africa, joined a meeting of fellow Indians in a Johannesburg theater to protest a proposed law that would force Indians to carry identity documents and be fingerprinted. Indians had initially been brought to South Africa as indentured workers by the British, who ruled both countries at the time.
Gandhi convinced those present to resist or ignore the law — but without resorting to violence. He called the idea "Satyagraha," which literally translates as "insistence on truth."
Thousands of Indians were jailed, including Gandhi, for refusing to cooperate and burning their identity booklets.
In the end, the government eventually agreed to some of Gandhi's demands.
In 1916, Gandhi returned to India to set up an ashram, a Hindu spiritual center, where he taught his philosophy. He also stressed ending caste differences, relieving poverty, and ousting the British.
Gandhi then successfully led a farmers' protest against feudal landlords and unjust taxes. His efforts earned him the name "Mahatma" or "Great Soul," and his reputation began to spread.
As his fame grew, he took a greater role in leading the campaign to force Britain to leave India, famously leading a 400-kilometer (250-mile) march to the sea to protest salt taxes.
Gandhi's great success was offering an opportunity for the masses of Indians to join the struggle for independence, said Pran Chopra, a New Delhi-based political analyst. Before Gandhi, opponents of British rule were either isolated intellectuals or small groups that resorted to violence.
"This platform offered by Gandhi ... gave them an opening so they could participate in boycotts and protests," he said.
Finally Gandhi spearheaded the Quit India campaign, which forced the British, exhausted by World War II, from India in 1947.
His influence is also felt in South Africa, where he is credited with inspiring the peaceful change to majority rule in 1994.
Visiting South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Nckuka placed a wreath at Gandhi's main New Delhi memorial Monday morning.
But as many praised Gandhi's legacy, it wasn't clear how relevant his legacy was for many young Indians.
In a survey published Sunday by the Economic Times newspaper, young Indian business leaders and students were asked who was the biggest icon of today's times. Bill Gates won with 37 percent — beating out Gandhi who received 30 percent.
The poll, of 111 people under the age of 45, listed no margin of error.
NEW DELHI As much of the world marked Sept. 11 by commemorating the 2001 attacks on the United States, India celebrated it as a day of peace — the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of peaceful resistance, or "Satyagraha."
Over the past century, Gandhi's doctrine of using nonviolent means to strive for justice has been a rallying call for Indians to throw off British colonial rule, and an inspiration for Martin Luther King Jr. and for South Africa's peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.
Even today, when India has cast aside its socialist-style economy to firmly embrace capitalism, leaders say Gandhi's values — which also promoted a frugal lifestyle — are relevant.
"By the force of moral example and restraint in the face of vicious provocation, Gandhi and his followers were able to effect a change of heart in their oppressors," said a statement from the ruling Congress party, which ordered a year of events to mark the occasion.
Most Indians marked the day with art exhibitions, charity events and tributes, although some accused the government of failing to live up to Gandhi's spirit.
On Sept. 11, 1906, Gandhi, then a young, little-known lawyer working in South Africa, joined a meeting of fellow Indians in a Johannesburg theater to protest a proposed law that would force Indians to carry identity documents and be fingerprinted. Indians had initially been brought to South Africa as indentured workers by the British, who ruled both countries at the time.
Gandhi convinced those present to resist or ignore the law — but without resorting to violence. He called the idea "Satyagraha," which literally translates as "insistence on truth."
Thousands of Indians were jailed, including Gandhi, for refusing to cooperate and burning their identity booklets.
In the end, the government eventually agreed to some of Gandhi's demands.
In 1916, Gandhi returned to India to set up an ashram, a Hindu spiritual center, where he taught his philosophy. He also stressed ending caste differences, relieving poverty, and ousting the British.
Gandhi then successfully led a farmers' protest against feudal landlords and unjust taxes. His efforts earned him the name "Mahatma" or "Great Soul," and his reputation began to spread.
As his fame grew, he took a greater role in leading the campaign to force Britain to leave India, famously leading a 400-kilometer (250-mile) march to the sea to protest salt taxes.
Gandhi's great success was offering an opportunity for the masses of Indians to join the struggle for independence, said Pran Chopra, a New Delhi-based political analyst. Before Gandhi, opponents of British rule were either isolated intellectuals or small groups that resorted to violence.
"This platform offered by Gandhi ... gave them an opening so they could participate in boycotts and protests," he said.
Finally Gandhi spearheaded the Quit India campaign, which forced the British, exhausted by World War II, from India in 1947.
His influence is also felt in South Africa, where he is credited with inspiring the peaceful change to majority rule in 1994.
Visiting South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Nckuka placed a wreath at Gandhi's main New Delhi memorial Monday morning.
But as many praised Gandhi's legacy, it wasn't clear how relevant his legacy was for many young Indians.
In a survey published Sunday by the Economic Times newspaper, young Indian business leaders and students were asked who was the biggest icon of today's times. Bill Gates won with 37 percent — beating out Gandhi who received 30 percent.
The poll, of 111 people under the age of 45, listed no margin of error.
The Associated Press
Published: September 11, 2006
NEW DELHI As much of the world marked Sept. 11 by commemorating the 2001 attacks on the United States, India celebrated it as a day of peace — the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of peaceful resistance, or "Satyagraha."
Over the past century, Gandhi's doctrine of using nonviolent means to strive for justice has been a rallying call for Indians to throw off British colonial rule, and an inspiration for Martin Luther King Jr. and for South Africa's peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.
Even today, when India has cast aside its socialist-style economy to firmly embrace capitalism, leaders say Gandhi's values — which also promoted a frugal lifestyle — are relevant.
"By the force of moral example and restraint in the face of vicious provocation, Gandhi and his followers were able to effect a change of heart in their oppressors," said a statement from the ruling Congress party, which ordered a year of events to mark the occasion.
Most Indians marked the day with art exhibitions, charity events and tributes, although some accused the government of failing to live up to Gandhi's spirit.
On Sept. 11, 1906, Gandhi, then a young, little-known lawyer working in South Africa, joined a meeting of fellow Indians in a Johannesburg theater to protest a proposed law that would force Indians to carry identity documents and be fingerprinted. Indians had initially been brought to South Africa as indentured workers by the British, who ruled both countries at the time.
Gandhi convinced those present to resist or ignore the law — but without resorting to violence. He called the idea "Satyagraha," which literally translates as "insistence on truth."
Thousands of Indians were jailed, including Gandhi, for refusing to cooperate and burning their identity booklets.
In the end, the government eventually agreed to some of Gandhi's demands.
In 1916, Gandhi returned to India to set up an ashram, a Hindu spiritual center, where he taught his philosophy. He also stressed ending caste differences, relieving poverty, and ousting the British.
Gandhi then successfully led a farmers' protest against feudal landlords and unjust taxes. His efforts earned him the name "Mahatma" or "Great Soul," and his reputation began to spread.
As his fame grew, he took a greater role in leading the campaign to force Britain to leave India, famously leading a 400-kilometer (250-mile) march to the sea to protest salt taxes.
Gandhi's great success was offering an opportunity for the masses of Indians to join the struggle for independence, said Pran Chopra, a New Delhi-based political analyst. Before Gandhi, opponents of British rule were either isolated intellectuals or small groups that resorted to violence.
"This platform offered by Gandhi ... gave them an opening so they could participate in boycotts and protests," he said.
Finally Gandhi spearheaded the Quit India campaign, which forced the British, exhausted by World War II, from India in 1947.
His influence is also felt in South Africa, where he is credited with inspiring the peaceful change to majority rule in 1994.
Visiting South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Nckuka placed a wreath at Gandhi's main New Delhi memorial Monday morning.
But as many praised Gandhi's legacy, it wasn't clear how relevant his legacy was for many young Indians.
In a survey published Sunday by the Economic Times newspaper, young Indian business leaders and students were asked who was the biggest icon of today's times. Bill Gates won with 37 percent — beating out Gandhi who received 30 percent.
The poll, of 111 people under the age of 45, listed no margin of error.
NEW DELHI As much of the world marked Sept. 11 by commemorating the 2001 attacks on the United States, India celebrated it as a day of peace — the 100th anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of peaceful resistance, or "Satyagraha."
Over the past century, Gandhi's doctrine of using nonviolent means to strive for justice has been a rallying call for Indians to throw off British colonial rule, and an inspiration for Martin Luther King Jr. and for South Africa's peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy.
Even today, when India has cast aside its socialist-style economy to firmly embrace capitalism, leaders say Gandhi's values — which also promoted a frugal lifestyle — are relevant.
"By the force of moral example and restraint in the face of vicious provocation, Gandhi and his followers were able to effect a change of heart in their oppressors," said a statement from the ruling Congress party, which ordered a year of events to mark the occasion.
Most Indians marked the day with art exhibitions, charity events and tributes, although some accused the government of failing to live up to Gandhi's spirit.
On Sept. 11, 1906, Gandhi, then a young, little-known lawyer working in South Africa, joined a meeting of fellow Indians in a Johannesburg theater to protest a proposed law that would force Indians to carry identity documents and be fingerprinted. Indians had initially been brought to South Africa as indentured workers by the British, who ruled both countries at the time.
Gandhi convinced those present to resist or ignore the law — but without resorting to violence. He called the idea "Satyagraha," which literally translates as "insistence on truth."
Thousands of Indians were jailed, including Gandhi, for refusing to cooperate and burning their identity booklets.
In the end, the government eventually agreed to some of Gandhi's demands.
In 1916, Gandhi returned to India to set up an ashram, a Hindu spiritual center, where he taught his philosophy. He also stressed ending caste differences, relieving poverty, and ousting the British.
Gandhi then successfully led a farmers' protest against feudal landlords and unjust taxes. His efforts earned him the name "Mahatma" or "Great Soul," and his reputation began to spread.
As his fame grew, he took a greater role in leading the campaign to force Britain to leave India, famously leading a 400-kilometer (250-mile) march to the sea to protest salt taxes.
Gandhi's great success was offering an opportunity for the masses of Indians to join the struggle for independence, said Pran Chopra, a New Delhi-based political analyst. Before Gandhi, opponents of British rule were either isolated intellectuals or small groups that resorted to violence.
"This platform offered by Gandhi ... gave them an opening so they could participate in boycotts and protests," he said.
Finally Gandhi spearheaded the Quit India campaign, which forced the British, exhausted by World War II, from India in 1947.
His influence is also felt in South Africa, where he is credited with inspiring the peaceful change to majority rule in 1994.
Visiting South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Nckuka placed a wreath at Gandhi's main New Delhi memorial Monday morning.
But as many praised Gandhi's legacy, it wasn't clear how relevant his legacy was for many young Indians.
In a survey published Sunday by the Economic Times newspaper, young Indian business leaders and students were asked who was the biggest icon of today's times. Bill Gates won with 37 percent — beating out Gandhi who received 30 percent.
The poll, of 111 people under the age of 45, listed no margin of error.