From: akn8257@ritvax.isc.rit.edu ( Arun )
Subject: Re: Relevance of Satyagraha
Reply-To: akn8257@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 19:20:01 GMT

In article <1992Nov19.162857.26786@cs.odu.edu>, raj@aelle.cs.odu.edu (M. P. Krishna Raj) writes:
>
>Jalian walla Bagh:  The shooting order was legally issued  and was carried out
>by indians only. 

Exactly. Satyagraha worked even when Indians were ready to shoot at 
innocent Indians in a gruesome way. British were very shrewd in how 
to rule a majority of people even when they are minority. They were
the experts of divide and rule policy.(Some of our politicians still
apply this successfully.) There were a lot of leaders who supported the
British rule and spoke that we were not fit to rule ourselves. Gandhi 
was not an unanimous leader of all people of India. There were a lot 
of people who vehemently opposed him and others who had their 
reservations about him. Gandhi had to fight in the most unco-operative 
environment.

>Again for that enquiry was held and Dyer was properly
>admonished.      

Right. Gandhi didn't want him dead. That wouldn't have achieved 
anything.


>Now let us come to incidence that happened in 1969. 
>
>A strike was going on in an industrial city. The workers were going in
>procession. The ARP came in dispersed the workers. The worker ran 
>everwhere due to latticharge. Worker ran into nearby officer colony.
>(As you know officers are part of the management and never participate
>in strikes). The ARP who are chasing the workers got into an officers
>house under the pretext of searching and rapped the teenaged daughters.
>That family nothing to with the strike,  and not  share the political
>ideology of the trade unions. It is a typical bramin's house with all
>religious indicators. It is a two storied bunglow. There is no chance for
>anyone to think that as a worker's quarters. Even if it is worker's 
>house no one has the authority to get in to that without a
>warrant.  That officer resigned his good job as a matter of self respect. 
>
>My question if he made complaint about that what will happen?
>
>My assertion is Mahatma was successful because his family was never touched.
>He went to jail many times. But jails were like ashrams those days. 
>
>In simple terms Satyagraga is successful only against a highly
>civilized western society.


Do you have any idea what V. O. Chidambaram and Arbhinda Ghose had to
go through in prison. Did you read about the fate of Tiruppur Kumaran? 
Did you give a little thought about those thousands of people died in 1857. 

They didn't hurt Gandhi because they know that will make things worse.
But they were millions of people who went to jail, took beatings 
and lost their lives in police shootings. Even Gandhi wasn't in House 
arrest all the time. There had been times he was in the regular prison 
without basic amenities. (Read Experiments with truth - Gandhi was one 
of those forgiving kind, he did not press this much.) Don't think Gandhi 
was the only one who followed Satyagraha and he won by himself. Please, 
if you don't know history please don't belittle their sacrifices.

- Arun.

>
>Raj
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