Interview with Arun Gandhi

‘I Was Willing To Sacrifice Myself’

Flayed for his views on the Jewish identity, Arun Gandhi, the Mahatma’s grandson, tells LISON JOSEPH that many understand his argument for non-violence

Is there more to the controversy than what the public already knows through the media?

There is no escaping the fact that the language I used and the generalisations I made in an article that I wrote hurriedly and did not revise were the main cause of the controversy. In addition, of course there are a strong group of radical, right-wing Jewish people who don’t entertain any criticism of Israel at all. They are like the RSS in India. In all societies, it is the small group of radicals that make the loudest noise and appear to be speaking for the whole community or the nation.

Did you expect something like this to happen?

No, I did not expect such strong reaction. I knew that there would be some opposition but did not expect it to take the form it did. However, there are many Jews who have understood the core message and, in spite of the language and generalisations, have been able to appreciate the argument for non-violence.

Do you think this would have happened if you were in a country other than the US?

I think the Jewish lobby is strongest in the US and therefore the reaction was stronger here than it would have been anywhere else.

What kind of reactions have you been getting recently?

There have been angry e-mails and breaking of relationships. But there have also been many Jewish friends who have called me or visited me and expressed their support and discussed their concerns in a friendly and courteous manner. I apologised and explained and we hugged and parted as friends.

Do you think the University of Rochester did not give due credence to your career and lifetime devoted to nonviolence and justice? Was there pressure to step down?

I was told that the university was under tremendous pressure. There was a possibility that some funding would be cut off. I thought that the institution is greater than the individual and so I was willing to sacrifice myself so that the university and the institute did not suffer.

Do you think this will affect your stature?

I hope it will not affect my stature adversely. From the supportive e-mails and calls I have been receiving, I can say with confidence that the activist community still respect me as before.
How has this affected your thinking on violence and the issue of Israeli policies that proliferate violence?I am still convinced that violence by anyone is reprehensible. It is no longer a civilised way of dealing with conflict. This is as true for Israel and Palestine as it is for every other nation on the earth.

What are your thoughts on Gandhiji’s name being dragged into the controversy by people reacting to your statement?

While I regret my grandfather’s name being dragged into this, I understand that it is those who are ignorant of what Gandhiji stood for, who do this.

How do you envisage justice through non-violence, in an age of modern weapons and State repression?

Mankind has found that the easiest way to control people is through fear. We do it to our children when we threaten them with punishment — it is control through fear. The governments find it easy to control through fear because controlling through love and understanding requires greater commitment and compassionand no one has the time for it. When the human race subscribes to a culture of violence then we open the door to human rights violations and everything else. In a culture of dog eats dog where is the respect for anyone, human or otherwise?


From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 5, Issue 5, Dated Feb 09, 2008