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An inaccurate reflection

Jan 28, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to Cheddi Joey Jagan’s letter titled “The trail for Obama was blazed by Martin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandi” (SN 16/1/2009). Jagan’s belief that Obama demonstrated the “ability to unite people, forgive past injustices and move on to inclusive governance,” and King’s “spread of democratic traditions, human rights and the concept of a world at peace “ all based on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi” is not an accurate reflection of the philosophy and models of Ghandi, King and Obama.
Yes, King admired Ghandi and utilised the model of love and non-violence as an effective force for social change. It should also be noted Ghandi’s model was no different from King’s. Christian beliefs as King himself alluded to – the tenants of Christianity – are built on love and non-violence. During the time of USA civil rights struggle, over in India, Ghandi’s struggle for independence through non-violence and love was gaining international traction, admiration and forcing the world to rethink colonialism, inequity and injustices. To this extent Ghandi’s model coincides with King’s belief and represented a living testimony of Christ’s principles.
But before we can conclusively pronounce the emulation of a model as conferring an emulation of “all…philosophy” we have to analyse the complete approaches of the subjects under scrutiny. King believed in loving both white and black and ensuring liberty, equality and justice for both white and black. Ghandi, on the other hand, heavy reliance on the model of non-violence and love, was with a focus on political independence and not overthrowing India’s caste inequity and unjust cultural enforcement that flowed from it. The diversion in path for Ghandi and King may have been influenced by their religious philosophy and desire to simultaneously confront ethnic injustices. King did both.
As a preacher, teaching the gospel of men’s equality in the sight of God, King was also conscious he was struggling in a Judeo-Christian society where the people were disobeying God’s law… And he was Declaration of Independence/Constitution that says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” King used these evident principles to unite black and white around shared/common beliefs.
Obama said King is his role model and this is clearly evident in his message and style. Obama’s ability as a uniter and his value for inclusive governance is similar to King, but here both Obama and King differ from Ghandi.
Unity, inclusive governance and forgiveness of past injustices for King and Obama are built on Christian and Constitutional principles of racial liberty, equality and justice. Unity, inclusive governance and forgiveness of past injustices for Ghandi were built on Indians battle for political independence from Britain.
All three men fought social battles but with very different focus. And because their focus and philosophy were influenced by different cultural outlooks and interests in confronting divisions, it is not accurate to say King’s action was “all based on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi”, or that there exists similar appreciation for liberty, equality and justice.
Similarly, it becomes problematic to definitively concur that the “The trail for Obama was blazed by Mahatma Ghandi “, when all they may have in common  are charisma and a shared model of embracing non-violence struggles, which are the very tenets of Obama’s and King’s religious beliefs. Further, Ghandi’s actions, while observed by King, did not have impact on change in the USA.
M. A. Bacchus

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