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From Gandhi to the Present Day Prof.N.Radhakrishnan

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From Gandhi to the Present Day Prof.N.Radhakrishnan Dag Hammarskjold Memorial Lecture 2013 Toward Building Societies in the Nonviolent and Peaceful Tradition: From Gandhi to the Present Day Prof.N.Radhakrishnan Chairman Indian Council of Gandhian Studies (New Delhi) [email protected] www.profnradhakrishnan.com We have to make truth and nonviolence, not matters for mere individual practice but practice by groups and communities and nations. That at any rate is my dream. I shall live and die in trying to realize it .My faith helps me to discover new truths every day. Ahimsa is the attribute of the soul, therefore life practiced by everybody in all affairs of life-- Gandhi The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned – Dag Hammarskjold Throughout my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things. That is why his portrait hangs in my Senate office: to remind me that real result will come not just from Washington—they will come from the people. Barrack Obama Distinguished Chairman, Honorable Ambassador Chowdhury, Your Excellencies, Respected members of the Board of Management of the Dag Hammarskjold Memorial Lecture, eminent peace activists and Peace fraternity of Oslo, Ladies and Gentlemen, Kindly accept the greetings of my fellow countrymen in India, who in the great Gandhian tradition respect and adore Dag Hammarskjold for the courageous initiatives he made to rid this world of war and strife. Coming from Gandhi’s India it is natural for me and my countrymen to realize the significance of the contribution Dag Hammarskjold made to promote peace and understanding in the world. 1 Let me in all humility submit that I deem it a great privilege to be here in this historic hall to share with you my thoughts as a student of Gandhi, a peace activist and educator for peace. I also express my profound sense of gratitude to the honorable members of the Dag Hammarskjold Memorial Committee for inviting me to be here. Let me confess that I am a great admirer of Norway and I should at the outset salute the great Norwegian Nation which has made very significant contribution in different ways to strengthen liberal and democratic values and attitudes besides nurturing a culture of peace globally. We are all familiar with the sustained efforts the Norwegian government and the people of Norway have been making to eradicate global poverty, promote human values, liberal thinking, disarmament and peace. May your great nation be blessed with further success in all its endeavors to promote peace and goodwill globally! I am reminded of a pithy statement Dag Hammarskjold made at this moment: “Never measure the height of a mountain until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was” I was a sixteen-year old youth who had just entered first year of my under-graduate course when the most shocking news about the tragic death of the second UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold reached us in 1961. Hammarskjold was not an unknown name among us and Indian news papers had been highlighting his highly commendable efforts to promote bilateral relations among the warring factions during those tumultuous periods in human history. His untimely and tragic death in a plane-crash brought to light several issues related to the undercurrents of both international diplomacy and the trappings of cold war era. I remember what one of our professors said to us referring to Dag Hammarskjold, “it is dangerous to be good”. President John F. Kennedy’s homage, perhaps, was another cryptic assessment of the greatness of Dag.” I realise now that in comparison to him, I am a small man. He was the greatest statesman of our century”, said Kennedy. Well it took many years for me to realize fully what it meant. One of the briefest quotes I remember often is from Hammarskjold, “I never discuss discussions”. As one of the most eminent and successful Secretary Generals of United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld is admired world over for his daring initiatives to usher in peace and promote harmony, amity and dialogue both among the nations and in warring communities. He advised the global community, “Our work for peace must begin within the private world of each one of us. To build for man a world without fear, we must be without fear. To build a world of justice, we must be just. And how can we fight for liberty if we are not free in our own minds? How can we ask others to sacrifice if we are not ready to do so?... Only in true surrender to the interest of all can we reach that strength and independence, that unity of purpose, that equity of judgment which are necessary if we are to measure up to our duty to the future, as men of a generation to whom the chance was given to build in time a world of peace. (UN Press Release SG/360 (22 December 1953)” 2 One wonders whether Dag Hammarskjold had realized that his contributions to humanity as a peace maker would soon become a precious part of human heritage when he said, ‘We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours.’ There are several lessons one could learn from the life, work and contribution of this remarkable diplomat, economist, author and a fine human being that Dag Hammarskold was. There are also many valuable aspects for us to learn from his highly inspiring life. What he wrote about him would offer a glimpse of his character: From generations of soldiers and government officials on my father's side I inherited a belief that no life was more satisfactory than one of selfless service to your country - or humanity. This service required a sacrifice of all personal interests, but likewise the courage to stand up unflinchingly for your convictions. From scholars and clergymen on my mother's side, I inherited a belief that, in the very radical sense of the Gospels, all men were equals as children of God, and should be met and treated by us as our masters in God." As Kofi Annan said , Dag Hammarskjold’s “wisdom and his modesty, his unimpeachable integrity and single-minded devotion to duty, have set a standard for all servants of the international community — and especially, of course for his successors — which is simply impossible to live up to”. Te publication in 1963 of his "journal" entitled Markings revealed the inner man as few documents ever have. Dag Hammarskjold himself had described it "a sort of White Book concerning my negotiations with myself - and with God." The entries themselves are spiritual truths given artistic form. Markings contain several references to death, perhaps none more explicit or significant than this portion from the opening entries when he was a young man: Tomorrow we shall meet, Death and I -. And he shall thrust his sword into one who is wide awake. A critic candidly reviewed Markings as follows: ‘‘It is indeed quite unusual for a Secretary-General to pen down his emotions and intimate feelings in such a candid and humble way. A struggle with death and things dying. A collection of thoughts, reflections, poems and emotions that affect you deeply and keep you coming back for more. You never really finish reading this book. Deeply moving’’. Richard I Miller in his book “Dag Hammarskjold and Crisis Diplomacy” wrote: “His deep inner stillness was a mainspring of his strength – a fortress so strong that disappointments, failures, setbacks and even personal attacks could not weaken his will or compromise his resolution to carry on his great task. His interest in the Mediation Room at the U.N. Building was deeply personal, not merely esthetic . He wrote the words on the entrance: "This is a room devoted to peace and those who are giving their lives for peace. It is a room of 3 quiet where only thoughts should speak." He went there frequently for quiet reflection, knowing that retreats into loneliness were a source of strength for the struggle ” [From Dag Hammarskjold and Crisis Diplomacy by Richard I. Miller, Pyramid Books Edition: first printing, January 1962; Pp. 317- 19.] (ii) Gandhi in the Global Context Gandhi, born in 1869 in Colonial India, surprisingly began his activist’s life in South Africa as a human rights activist. Describing his initiatives as “Experiments with Truth”, at no stage in his 53 years of active involvement (21 years in South Africa and 32 Years in India) did he recognize a rival or enemy? Holding on to the Biblical teaching ‘resist the sin, not the sinner’, Gandhi brought in new humanistic insights into all his campaigns and in his life. Distinguished British historian Arnold Toynbee’s statement raised interesting insights and perspectives in the evaluation of Gandhian strategies: “Gandhi made it impossible for us to go on ruling India, but the same time he made it possible for us to abdicate with honour and without dishonor”. It is naïve to believe that Gandhi did not have his detractors. He invited very strong dislike and criticism even from day one of his public campaigns and work. Though he is universally respected and admired now, it is difficult to assess which of the two, admiration or criticism weighed more. The fact is that he continues to evoke in good measure both criticism and admiration even today.
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