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Thursday, February 02, 2006

ARUN GANDHI

This dusky criss-crossed face bearing oval spectacles atop gray beard subtly radiates serenity and calmness. This septuagenarian is sure to appear familiar to every Indian. After a closer look at him, one cannot help uttering, “He reminds Bapu.” Well! No marks for that as this suited-booted gentleman, named Arun, is grandson of the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Spending most of his childhood at Gandhi Ashram in South africa, Arun only had privilege of spending two years (1946-47) with Gandhiji, when his parents Manilal and Sushila brought him to homeland at the age of 12. Arun loves to share his fond memories of grandpa. “I lived in awe of him. People would wait for hours by roadsides for a glimpse of him, recalls Arun who loves to share my treasure of thoughts with youngsters, spreading Gandhiji’s vibrant philosophy. But he is not convinced about accepting it as a dogma. “Charkha brought a movement before independence because it supported hand-to-mouth rural India under Britishers. Now in independent India it’s obsolete,” says Arun.
The most cherished memory that he recalls is assisting Bapu in raising funds for women, childern and harijan upliftment projects by selling Mahatma Gandhi’s autograph for Rs 5 during morning assembly.
Today walking on the footsteps of Bapu by continuing with the non-violent movement wife Sunanda Gandhi and Arun travel all-round the world talking non-violence.
Presently, Arun is living in USA and is director of MK Gandhi Institute for Non-violence there. Ask him why he chose to open the institute on foreign land, and he rejoins, “As Bapu was sure India would not believe in non-violence after independence unless it comes in western packaging.”
Arun went to Mississippi University on fellowship to study racial discrimination as he himself suffered at its hand in South Africa. Discovering who he is….there people invited him for lecturing on non-violence. This ingnited the urge in this ex-journalist to set-up an institute teaching non-violence. “I had no money for the institute. To raise funds I parted with Bapus letters written to my parents. I asked the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to buy it but he replied: Not interested in your project,” regrets says Arun who sold the treasure offshore.
Arun who feels India has emerged as economic power but lacks when it comes to economic and political equality, many-a-times wanted to come in forefront in politics but Mahatma Ganmdhi’s request to abstain from politically exploiting his name, held him back.
Though Arun feels a great responsibility as a Gandhi descendent, yet is no longer at comfort mother tongue while delivering a speech. This proud and humble Gandhi, as he liberally addresses himself says he has got these traits as legacy from Bapu. Arun believes passive violence is more dangerous than active physical violence.


BOX
On Thursday, he was in Chandigarh to participate in the ongoing ‘Peace-City Chandigarh’ campaign at Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector 36. He awarded Dr KBS Dhillon Memorial Shantidoot Puraskar to principal Karan Singh Jaglan of GMSSS Sector-33 here, for spreading Gandhian values along with five other educationist practicing virtues of peace and non-violence. They were: Dr ML Gupta of Punjab engineering College, prof Ashok Kumar of DAV College, Dr Jyoti Khanna of ev Samaj College of Education, Amarjit Singh of GMSSS, Sector 19 and Arvinder kaur of St. Soldiers International School.

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