Reflecting on Gandhi's 1931 visit to Rome and the echo of his message in Pope Francis's pronouncements.

Rome, the Eternal City, is still as inviting as ever. But there is a certain new thinking in the air in Italy's capital, born of three factors — prolonged economic recession, political instability and the arrival of a progressive new Pope in the Vatican. I am here to give a talk at the Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue on my book Music of the Spinning Wheel: Mahatma Gandhi's Manifesto for the Internet Age. I am also participating in an international meeting for peace, whose theme is "The Courage of Hope: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue". It is organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio, a voluntary spiritual organisation dedicated to serving the poor, inter-faith harmony and conflict-resolution, three activities that were close to Gandhi's heart.

Before coming to Italy, I had tweeted about a recent speech by Pope Francis that the whole world is now talking about. I had highlighted the close similarity between Gandhi's rejection of economics without ethics and the Pope's flaying of the current global economic system that has put "an idol called money", and not people, at its heart. Speaking extempore to loud applause from a large crowd of unemployed youth in Sardinia, the Pope — he has quickly earned the reputation of being the Poor Man's Pope — said, "Let us all fight the money idol, against an unfair system without ethics in which money rules everything. To protect this idolatrous system we abandon the weakest, the elderly, those who have nowhere to sleep… Even the young are abandoned and left without dignity."

Safeguarding human dignity is the true teaching of Jesus Christ and Gandhi, and Pope Francis is giving impassioned voice to this philosophy. In his thoughtful speech at the peace conference, Italy's PM Enrico Letta, whose coalition government is sought to be destabilised by Silvio Berlusconi's supporters, touched upon another Gandhian theme — conflict-resolution through dialogue. Back from the UN General Assembly, he said the global community heaved a sigh of relief that America's imminent military strike on Syria had been avoided due to dialogue among major countries at the UN. Describing as "a miracle" the agreement on Syria's elimination of chemical weapons, Letta said the dignity, prestige and usefulness of the UN system has "finally been restored". The audience greeted these words with thunderous clapping.

I say a new thinking is in the air in Italy and elsewhere in Europe because their leading minds are increasingly beginning to see the vacuous nature of the economic and political systems controlling the lives of people, spreading misery and cynicism. They are realising the disastrous consequences of abandoning the ethical and spiritual traditions of Europe and the world. In the new Pope's unconventional pronouncements, they are finding an amplification of their own desire to see religion in a fresh light — not in the discredited old practice of one faith proclaiming its superiority and exclusivity, but in a new eagerness to respect and learn from all faiths.

These hope-giving sights and sounds in Rome make me recall Gandhi's historic visit to Italy in December 1931, on his way back from the failed Second Roundtable Conference in London. The Mahatma knew the London roundtable was doomed to fail, but his real purpose of undertaking an extended journey to Europe was to broadcast his message of truth (by which he meant recovery of the true essence of religion), non violence, universal brotherhood and a fundamental change in international economic and political systems to ensure human dignity and justice for all. Against the advice of many, he went to meet Benito Mussolini because of his conviction that the pursuit of peace through principled dialogue — especially at a time when the dark clouds of a new world war were hovering — could not exclude anybody, not even dictators and tyrants.

The highlight of the Mahatma's visit to Italy was his pilgrimage to the Vatican. Shockingly, the Pope refused to meet him, an indication of how far the church had moved away from the essential message of Christianity. The outward grandeur of the Vatican didn't impress Gandhi much. But he was spellbound by a particular statue of Christ on the cross above the altar of the Sistine Chapel. The profound effect it had on the Mahatma was later described by Mirabehn: "He remained perfectly silent, as if still in contemplation. He then said, 'So deep an impression did that crucifix make on me that it stands out all alone in my mind, and I remember nothing else of my visit to the Vatican.'" Was the Mahatma having a premonition of his own martyrdom 17 years later when he stood in front of the statue?

The Vatican press at the time scorned Gandhi's visit. However, in 1986, John Paul II visited Raj Ghat in Delhi, and said, "Today, as a pilgrim of peace, I have come here to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, hero of humanity. The figure of Gandhi and the meaning of his life's work have penetrated the consciousness of mankind."

There is a beautiful description of Gandhi's visit to Italy by Maria Montessori, the talian educationist whom he greatly admired. "His [Gandhi's] spirit is like a great energy that has the power of uniting men because it effects some inner sensitivity and draws them together. This mysterious and marvellous energy is called love. I felt this very deeply when Gandhi paid a visit to Europe and stayed a few days in Rome on his homeward voyage. During his stay in his honour, and while he sat on the floor and spun, children sat around him, serene and silent. And all the adults who attended this unforgettable reception were silent and still. It was enough to be together, there was no need of speeches.We must think about this spiritual attraction, it is the force that can save humanity, for we must learn to feel this attraction to each other, instead of being merely bound by material interests."

I can feel the presence of Gandhi's mysterious power here in Rome, as we at the inter-faith peace conference discuss the mighty challenges facing our world.

Wed Oct 02 2013 : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/why-gandhi-resonates-in-rome/1177140/0

સેમી, નો સ્કૂલ ટુ ડે? યુ આર સ્ટીલ ઈન બેડ?

મૉમ, આય એમ સ્કેર્ડ.

વાય.

મૉમ, યુ ફરગોટ ગઈ કાલે સેવન્થ ગ્રેડર ગન લઈને આવ્યો હતો. આમારા ક્લાસના બે જણા

સિરયસ્લી ઈન્જર્ડ થયા છે. લાસ્ટ નાઈટ મને ડ્રિમમાં પણ એ છોકરાનો ફેસ દેખાતો હતો. સેમીનું નામ તો સુંદર સૌમિલ છે. અમેરિકામાં ભલભલા નામોનું શોર્ટ ફોર્મ થઈ જાય. મમ્મીએ સેમીના માથા પર હાથ મૂકી જોયો.

સેમી, યુ હેવ ફીવર. તાવ માપી જોયો ૧૦૨ ડિગ્રી હતો. મમ્મીએ માથા પર બરફના પાણીનાં પોતાં મૂકવાનું ચાલુ કર્યું. ડૉક્ટર ઘરમાં હતાં એટલે વાંધો ન હતો. સેમીના ડેડી 'ઈનટ્ર્નિસ્ટ અને મમ્મી પિડિયાટૃિશ્યન' હતાં. મીલી ખૂબ સાલસ હતી. સેમી પોતે કહેતી, તેના પપ્પા તેને સૌમિલ કહેતા. શ્રીકાંત મીલીને પરણી સુંદર રીતે જીવનમાં ગુંથાયો હતો. મીલી મળતાવડી હતી. ઈંડિયન કલ્ચર તેને ખૂબ ગમતું. ભારત ત્રણેક વાર આવી હતી. મુંબઈ શહેર તેને ન્યૂયોર્કની યાદ અપાવતું. જેમ  સેમી ગુજરાતી ડેડી પાસે લર્ન કરતો્ સેઈમ વે મીલી વૉઝ લર્નિંગ ટુ. મીલી એન્ડ શ્રી બોથ વર કનફ્યુઝ્ડ સ્કૂલોમાં પાગલની જેમ નાના બાલકોના ખૂન થતા જોઈ તે હચમચી ગઈ હતી. શ્રી, હાઉ  કેન વી કનવીન્સ સેમી ટો ગો બેક ટુ સ્કૂલ?  હી ઈઝ સ્કેર્ડ.'

શ્રી, યસ ડાર્લીંગ ઈટ વીલ ટેક સમ ટાઈમ.

સેમી વૉઝ નોટ રેડી ટો ગો ટુ સ્કૂલ.

મીલી એન્ડ શ્રી વેન્ટ ઓન વેકેશન. સેમી વૉઝ બીહેવિંગ લાઈક વેરી નોર્મલ ચાઈલ્ડ.

ઈન થ મોર્નિંગ મીલી સેઈડ, સેમી આઈ ગો વીથ યુ.

શી ડ્રોવ સેમી ટુ સ્કૂલ. તેની સાથે આખું અઠવાડિયું શાળામાં રહી.  આતો સારું હતું કે મીલી માટે એ પોસિબલ હતું. બાકી બધા બાળકોના માબાપ આવી રીતે બેસી ન શકે. 

ગુડ પાર્ટ મીલી, સેમીની સાથે ભણતા બધા બાળકોનું ધ્યાન રાખી રહી હતી. સેમીના ક્લાસમાં બીજા ૨૦ બાળકો હતાં.

મીલી વૉઝ પેરન્ટીંગ એવરીબડી. પરિણામ ખૂબ સુંદર આવ્યું. બીજા પેરન્ટસને પણ થયું આવી રીતે બાળકોને સાથ આપીશું તો તેમના દિલમાંથી ડર જશે.

મીલીએ શાળાના બાળકોના પેરન્ટસને પોતાને ત્યાં 'ટી' પર ઈનવાઈટ કર્યા. બધા સાથે ખુલ્લા દિલે વાત કરી. બધા પેરન્ટસ એક વાત પર સહમત હતાં કે તેમના બાળકો ડરી ગયા હતાં. કુમળી વય અને નજર સમક્ષ બીજા બાળકો ઘવાયા અને મર્યા એ સામાન્ય વાત ન હતી. અંતે સહુએ ટર્ન નક્કી કર્યા. જો કોઈને અનુકૂળ ન હોય તો બીજા પેરન્ટ્સે સ્વીચ કરવાની તૈયારી બતાવી .શાળાની સિક્યોરિટી ટાઈટ કરવાની પ્રિન્સિપાલે તૈયારી બતાવી.

સમાજમાં જેમ ભાંગફોડિયા અને ક્રુક વસે છે તેમ સારા માણસોની પણ કમી નથી.  મીલીએ પોતાની ઓફિસમાં એક ડિપાર્ટમેન્ટ ચાલુ કર્યો. પોતે નાના બાળકોની ડૉક્ટર હતી.  જે પણ નાનું બાળક આવા સંગોને કારણે શૉક અનુભવતું હોય તેની મફત ટ્રીટમેન્ટ કરવાનું ચાલુ કર્યું. એક નૉન પ્રોફિટ ઓરગનાઈઝેશન ચાલુ કરી સમાજને ઉપયોગી કાર્યમાં પ્રવૃત્ત થઈ. સમાજના બે પહેલુ છતા થયા. આનો ઈલાજ કરવા મીલીએ કમર કસી. સેમી અને તેના ફ્રેન્ડસ બધા હવે ધીરે ધીરે નોર્મલ થઈ રહ્યા હતાં.

'ઓ.કે. મોમ, યુ ડુ નોટ કમ ટુ સ્કૂલ. આઈ એમ ફાઇન.' મીલી અને શ્રી ખુશ થયાં કે હવે દીકરો નોર્મલ થઈ ગયો.  વીક એન્ડ પસાર થયું અને સેમી મનડે પાછો સ્કૂલે રોજની જેમ ગયો. લંચ ટાઇમમાં કાફેટેરિયામાં બધા શાંતિથી ખાવામાં મશગુલ હતા ત્યાં એક શિક્ષક ગન સાથે આવ્યા

અને આડેધડ ——————————-

http://pravinash.wordpress.com/

An essay

Mother of Exiles, the statue of Liberty, proclaims "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”.

Most of the early European exiles arrived in America mostly for a better life. Some were forced to flee for political reasons. Some escaped religious persecution. Historically the meaning and the experience of an exile has changed and continues to  evolve.

All exiles are not made equal. There are multiple flavors of an exile. An immigrant belongs to a class lower than that of an émigré, higher than refuge- less than expatriate. An immigrant is someone who voluntarily leaves his native country to settle permanently in another country.  Émigré is an emigrant, the one forced to leave for political differences. A refugee is a person who has fled from  political persecution or for personal safety . Expatriate is someone who has left native country willingly with conscious effort to resist total inclusion in the new world.

In medieval Europe, exile was considered the worst kind of punishment. Dante when he was banished only about 100 miles from Florence, he treated his exile as social death which was reflected in his later writings in “Inferno”. There was implicit permanent attachment to the birthplace and no prospects of a return to homeland. Today being in exile is not as severe and as permanent anymore. Also social media apps like Skype, Facebook, Tweeter etc. has eased a lot of pain of displacement and has brought memories of old home closer to the new home. 

An immigrant longs for the world left behind in his native land but manages to belong to neither world. When he sees a new place, he sees some connection to the old place, forever searching for his old home in his new home. His loyalty, affection, culture are all a mix bag of old and new and always in a state of limbo. He lives a double life-  he tries, without quite succeeding, to belong to the new world in his life outside his home, while his life inside his new home, he strives to replicate his old home, without much success either.

He is uprooted, upended and tries hard, without quite succeeding completely, to put his roots down again. He tries to connect to the new world while not quite disconnecting from the old world. While striving to be stationary, he is always mobile, drifting while trying to be motionless, in transit while struggling to settle down, never knowing how to blend in, always going somewhere without getting anywhere.  He tries desperately to become a “new self”, without really letting go of “old self”.

He tends to do continuous retrospection, always imagining himself in the old world as preserved and frozen in his memory. He is frozen in time, culture, values of the old world, a world which has since changed and does not exist anymore; it lives only in his memory. He continues to cling to the old world or at least to the idea of the old world.

He tries to belong to two places and fails to belong to either place, trying to preserve traces of old identity, while struggling to acquire a new identity, losing both the identities in the process. He, who has become now a stranger in his own lands, is also a stranger in the new lands. He is a man of many faces while without belonging to any of those faces.

His accent, no matter how impeccably hard he tries to hide it, always betrays him as a person of foreign lands. An accent is a residue of old language which gives him away as someone who is not a native speaker of the language. An accent is the resistance of his subconscious to the new language.

Just because you have become an American citizen does not transform you or make you forget your allegiance to the old country, although your oath might force you or coerce you. Indian American strives to maintain native ethnicity, cultural connection by celebrating and participating in all the festivals, Bollywood movies, ethnic restaurants, cricket, and by keeping religious connections by building various houses of worships, and continues creative pursuits by forming ethnic literary groups, ethnic magazines, ethnic newspapers in the adopted country.

Most of the Indian immigrants of my generation, who emigrated in or around 1970s, did so as qualified professionals who emigrated for a better future for themselves. This was followed by relatives of these early immigrants many of whom in their middle ages came for the betterment of their children’s future and then very recently H1 visa holders who settled here for a temporary stay and ended up as legal immigrants and there is the group of college students many of whom stay on after finishing their studies and become new genre of immigrants. Then there is the group of undocumented illegal aliens who live a marginalized life, although as wretched as their lives might be here, they feel they are better off here than they would otherwise be in native lands.  The attitudes, affinity to India, blending into the American culture are varied; each group has its own set of goals. 

Recently during my last visit  to the town I grew up in India,  I found cyber cafés, McDonalds, fancy boutiques touting Western  fashions, high rise buildings and night clubs, and  very little resemblance to the city tucked away and stuck in my memory. The lines between a native culture and foreign culture had blurred making the two almost indistinguishable. 

I realized then that although my home will always be alive and well preserved and frozen in the depths of my memory, does not exist anymore back in India.

Now I was at ease with myself. I felt at home in my new home in my new adopted country.

Translation in Gujarati at this link : https://opinionmagazine.co.uk/details/603/હૈયાને-વળી–દેશ-શું-અને-પરદેશ-શું-?