Gandhi and terrorism
I am referring to Chandramouli's letter (The Jakarta Post, Oct. 11) on terrorism and the Gandhi approach.
One accepts that talking is a far better option than bullets (that perhaps goes without saying), but today's terrorism revolves around fanatics, who in the main, do not wish to talk at all. Sad as it was for India and for humanity, when in 1948 a Hindu nationalist shot Gandhi dead at a prayer meeting -- but perhaps that action illustrated that for many the bullet was indeed the answer. The British may have imprisoned Ghandi for short periods of time, but he was still allowed to carry on his work, despite the obvious ramifications.
If he had lived in Nazi Germany, or had been active in Russia at the time of Joseph Stalin, then he would never have made the history books at all. Most people would go along with Gandhi's thinking, although civil disobedience, which was his main tool of political leverage, again would have got him into deep trouble had he tried that same approach against the oppressive Soeharto regime.
History tells us that in 1250 BC the Israelites invaded Palestine, yet today tensions and problems still exist. That was 3252 years ago, and no end of talking hasn't changed that situation.
Gandhi rejected rational persuasion and adopted satyagraha, a form of non-violent protest that was prepared to endure personal suffering in the hope an opponent would relent through guilt, thus eventually showing humanity and a willingness to compromise. Admirable as that may sound, I have a feeling that such a policy would not work with the likes of bin-Laden and Saddam Hussein.
Deep conflicts of interests can only be resolved by considerable giving from both sides, and that in the case of Israel and Palestine, does not appear to be even a remote possibility.
The world has changed considerably since Gandhi's time, arguably for the worse, so maybe Gandhi would have struggled with the rubble that was the Twin Towers in New York, in a world that is full of hate and retribution, and where words, even when spoken, are not listened to. The things that dominate the world today are greed, corruption, ignorance, terrorism, the IMF, poverty, rhetoric and injustice, all these in the name of progress. As for free speech without retribution, best you speak to an Eskimo about that one!.
DAVID WALLIS
Medan, North Sumatra