Professor Rajmohan Gandhi, an Indian writer, former Senator and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, visited Britain with his wife Usha for two weeks, November 12-27, 2005, at the invitation of Initiatives of Change.
As a Hindu, he has sought to heal divisions between Hindus and Muslims through his study of Muslim leaders. He is currently a visiting professor at the University of Illinois, USA. His powerful message of dialogue and bridge-building across the world's divides met a deep response from audiences across Britain.
The tour started in Scotland where Professor Gandhi's long association with this country started in 1956 when he trained in journalism at The Scotsman. It was in Edinburgh, Gandhi said, that at the age of 21 his life focus shifted 'from Rajmohan to the world'. The Scotsman marked the visit with a full page feature with photos, based on Rajmohan's assessment of the Gandhian ethic's relevance to present day events in the world. The Gandhis were also accompanied on a tour of The Scotsman offices by Bill Jamieson, the Executive editor, George Kerevan, a senior executive, and Magnus Linklater, a former editor.
A New College lecture on 'Terrorism and the Gandhian ethic' was chaired by Professor Frank Whaling, attracting a large audience of students, academics and senior representatives from church, business and politics. An overflow hall was used with a video link-up. 'What about a dialogue between Edinburgh University and Lahore or Cairo University?' was a suggestion from Gandhi. The need to restore religion as a positive rather than divisive force and not to demonise people of other faiths was a strong message, as was the conviction that 'a small minority with total commitment is all it takes to make total changes'.
Radio Scotland conducted an interview, and Prof. Gandhi visited the Scottish Parliament as guest of the Presiding Officer, the Right Honourable George Reid.
In Liverpool, nearly 250 people attended the annual War and Peace Studies Annual Civic Lecture in the Great Hall of Liverpool Hope University. Vice-Chancellor Gerald Pillay, who had invited Prof. Gandhi, gave the introduction, describing him as 'an apostle of peace'. Those attending included a diverse cross-section of people from Liverpool and the surrounding area, representatives of civic, academic, professional life and all the main faith communities, as well as students from the university and asylum seekers from a variety of countries. Earlier in the day a dialogue took place in the University between Rajmohan Gandhi and students. He drew out the concerns of the students, which included integration, religion being used as a scapegoat, fair trade and relations between the generations and encouraged them to help make a difference.
Radio Merseyside carried an interview on the Roger Phillips Show highlighting Rajmohan Gandhi's wish 'to try and be a reconciler between the so called Muslim World and the Western World' - 'Listening, underlining and helping each side understand the concerns of the other and where they are coming from.' Gandhi called for 'interlocutors' from all sides, who would play this role and spoke of the need 'to embrace dialogue'.
In Sheffield, two occasions in the Town Hall brought together students and civic and community leaders in conversations on the themes raised by Professor Gandhi. Bradford Grammar School hosted the Gandhis for talks with students from four Bradford schools, representing the city's diverse ethnic mix. Bradford University Peace Studies Department students joined guests of the Council of Mosques at the Council's community centre in the afternoon, to hear Prof. Gandhi speak on 'The Frontier Gandhi and an Islamic Approach to Peace-making'.
In Hull, Prof. Gandhi gave the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture to a distinguished audience of 150 at the Guildhall. The lecture was delivered at the invitation of Lord Bikkhu Parekh. The Hull Daily Mail carried a photograph of Prof. Gandhi in front of a statue of his grandfather, highlighting Rajmohan's words 'The real clash is in every human heart'. The lecture was preceded by a luncheon presided over by the Mayor.
Following a lunch in Oxford given by the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Prof. Gandhi addressed a packed debating chamber at the Oxford Union. In the first part of his talk on 'Life choices and their consequences', he reflected on the influences on him in his youth. Partition and his grandfather Gandhi's assassination had made deep impressions. He acknowledged the 'hunger for great goals' that he recognized while training in journalism in Edinburgh, and the help he received from friends there to decide to 'free' his life 'to be used as God directed for the remaking of the world' - a decision that he had 'not knowingly departed from' in the subsequent 49 years. It was this that had led him through several careers, in journalism, politics and academia. He referred to historical breakthroughs which had given him joy: the ending of the Emergency in India in the '70s, the fall of communism in Europe and of apartheid in South Africa, and the election in May '04 in India where the population turned its back on Hindu extremism. But the heart of his message, as it has been in other places, was that Britain and the Muslim world need to repair their relationship. He warned of the danger of a generalised conflict between Muslims and 'the rest'; of the equating of 'terrorists' with 'Muslims'. Non-Muslims should not be tempted to consider Islam as peculiarly flawed because of the actions of a few - this would be to repeat what has happened to other peoples who have suddenly been identified as the root of all ills. British foreign policy towards Iraq and Palestine has exacerbated the tensions. His passion showed itself in his responses to the questions of two young men of Indian origin, who suggested that because of the higher growth rate of the Muslim minority in India, that country could potentially become a Muslim state in the future. Prof. Gandhi pleaded with them not to go down that road of spreading unfounded fears and suspicions. When one questioner asked what Westerners could do about their fear, he didn't provide an answer, but clearly felt that she had identified a key factor. His answer was in dialogue, at all levels, reaching out to those whom we consider 'difficult'. In his closing words, the Vice-President of the Union quoted with approval Rajmohan's own words that 'Principles not applied in the difficult situations are not principles'.
Over 500 people turned up for Prof. Gandhi's lecture at the Friends House near Euston Station in London, a hall where his grandfather, the Mahatma, had spoken in 1931. His theme was: 'Responding to today's world: the relevance of the Gandhian ethic'. He spoke about the life and motivation of his grandfather drawing out quotes and actions that threw light on today's situation. One of his main themes, as everywhere during his tour, was expressed in the words: 'How by God's grace can we create a blending, not a clash of civilisations?' He had a particular challenge for Britain, urging us to think about our role in the world. He commended the courage and humanity of many, as instanced by the spirit shown in a tube train immediately after the bomb blasts of 7th July. 'While I marvel at the amazing spirit I get concerned at the place that fear now has. One of the triumphs of the terrorists is that fear is so long-lasting.' Security was a primary duty, he went on, 'but duty is not a purpose. Terrorism is a terrible problem but it is not the world's only problem. Disease, poverty in Africa, the threats to the environment… these are the threats with which the people of Britain must engage.' After the bombings of 7/7, many people increased their dialogue with Muslims, he said, but not enough people in the UK and the US tried to find out from countries in the Middle East why so many people are so resentful. Why is there the oxygen of support for the killings? The question must be asked again and again. Answers must be found. The real clash, he emphasised, is not between East and West, Muslim and Christian. It is between faith and fear, rejection and acceptance. 'Fear is natural; to be guided by fear is not necessary.' One of the most striking features of the occasion, chaired by journalist Graham Turner, was the variety and depth of the many questions, often posed by young people. A young Muslim doctor spoke of the double difficulty that people of her religion faced: they were afraid of bombs like everyone else but they were also the object of suspicion and fear. Another striking contribution was made by a white woman who, finding that Muslim women were reluctant to come to her home, was planning to organise informal meetings on neutral ground.
Other engagements in London included a lunch given by the London Press Club, a meeting with the Muslim Council of Britain, and a dinner in Parliament hosted by Ann Widdecombe and Lord Alton which was attended by MPs of all three main parties. Media coverage included interviews on Radio 4's Today Programme, Radio 2's Jeremy Vine Show, and a 20 minute conversation with Simon Mayo on Radio 5. Prof. Gandhi was interview live on the ITV News Channel, and a 26 minute interview was recorded by the BBC World Service for later transmission.
The tour concluded with a visit to Canterbury, where nearly 200 students and staff at the University of Kent squeezed into a 150-seat lecture theatre.
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