Articles

In the Heartland of the Civil Rights Movement

By Jose M. Kochuparampil
The Hindu
Oct. 2, 2005

Iron-willed, a gentle soul respected and revered for his uncompromising commitment to non-violence, peace and social justice, the dhoti-clad fragile looking individual with a walking stick is no surprise for the American public. Today, Atlanta, the city that is credited with the rare honor as the heartland of the Civil Rights Movements in the U.S., is proud to have the statue of this precious gem of India – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Residents and tourists might, at first glance, pass by the six-foot four sinewy bronze statue of India's Father of the Nation, without much thought. Later on, halfway through their tour of Atlanta's Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, they will realize the statue of the man they passed by was the "epicenter" of inspiration behind Dr. King's life and legacy. They come back and look at it again with shock and awe, out of respect and admiration for this larger-than-life figure of the man from the East. Their unspoken words could well be: "Is this the one who humbled the British Empire?"

Martin Luther King's India Visit

Though Dr. King didn't have the opportunity to meet Gandhi in person, he did, along with his wife, Coretta Scott, spend a month in India in 1959 learning Gandhian philosophy and the techniques of non-violence. Gandhi had such an influence and impact on the life of the Kings, that later on Mrs. King declared that as long as she lived, Gandhi's birthday celebrations would always take place at the King's Center in Atlanta.

Realising the fact that the Luther King Center would be incomplete without Gandhi's presence, Mrs. King, together with members of the Indian community leaders, decided, in 1983, to open a Gandhi Room at the center. Since its opening, the ensuing four years weren't noticeable at all in terms of its growth or public appeal. It is at this juncture, in 1987, that Subash Razdan and Giriraj Rao stepped in. Both of them had spent precious time, talent and the resources in redesigning and refurbishing the room with Gandhi memorabilia and other relevant historical artefacts exhibiting the alliance of the two hearts — Gandhi and Luther King.

The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), the largest umbrella group of the Indians in the U.S. with a membership of over 1.4 millions, decided in its 1992 convention that Atlanta become a suitable venue to chalk out ways and means to give further prominence and recognition to Mahatma Gandhi. Razdan, who was the convener of the NFIA Atlanta convention, organised a Gandhi Task Force that came into effect with the launching of the convention. To perpetuate the memory of the apostle of non-violence, the task force came up with the idea of naming a street in the vicinity of MLK National Historic Site after Gandhi. Its initial outcome seemed promising, but the idea was met with protest from residents who argued that Gandhi was an unfamiliar figure. And naming the street also involved the change of addresses for residents and related logistics.

"The Mahatma, His Mentor"

The setback gave them a boost to come up with a better project. To have a life-size statue of Gandhi installed at the MLK Historic Site. The vision, foresight and hard work of Razdan and Rao, with the assistance and support of the Governments of India and the U.S., the State of Georgia, the City of Atlanta, the King Center and other Indian organisations in the U.S. brought about the convergence of these stars of the east and the west, Gandhi and King, in one spot proclaiming the former's role in the latter's life. This is clear from the statement of Mrs. King. She said: "Just like Jesus was Martin's religious mentor, Gandhi was his political mentor."

From the conception of the idea in 1992, till its execution (culminating in its dedication ceremony on January 24, 1998), it wasn't all that simple. It took a while to erase American bureaucratic ignorance of Gandhi and get the green signal to go ahead with the project on federal property.Artist Ram Sutar of New Delhi was the sculptor of this work of art which is the first Gandhi statue to be installed in a U.S. federal park. The statue is a gift from the Government of India. Along with Razdan and Rao were Dr. Joy Berry, Troy Lissimore and Greg Pridgeon from the U.S. and Indian Americans like Kumkum Kashiparekh, Antony Thaliath and Vinod Patel. Thaliath currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the Gandhi Foundation, U.S.

Ever since the foundation came into being in 1997 in anticipation of the installation and dedication of the statue, there have been many celebrations and activities.

The foundation, being non-profit and tax-exempt, supports local as well as national organisations in their fund raising efforts to promote the welfare of the underprivileged and disadvantaged.

It celebrates the birth anniversaries of Gandhi and King, the anniversary of the dedication of the statue and the Republic Day of India at the MLK Historic Site.

According to Thaliath, Mr. Razdan, the 2003 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient (a prestigious and coveted Medal of Honor awarded to Americans of diverse origin for their outstanding contributions to their own ethnic groups and to American society), is the brain and the key player behind the whole project.

A Dream

Razdan dreams of a day when young people of Indian origin and in traditional Indian attire stand by the statue as volunteers offering a gist of Gandhian ideals to the close to one million yearly visitors. According to Thaliath, for the continued spread of the philosophies of Gandhi and King, the time is ripe to explore the possibility of a Gandhi Center. "Conducting a regular Gandhi lecture series, tutoring underprivileged children in the various neighbourhoods of the MLK historic district to begin with and the founding of a Gandhi Center are some of the immediate actions that the Foundation is looking into," said Thaliath, a prominent Indian American who accompanied President Bill Clinton on his State visit to India in 2000.

Rao, a senior scientist at Coco-Cola and its Principal Investigator of the Corporate Research and Development Department, was doubly sure that no place in the U.S. was better suited for the Gandhi statue other than its present spot— at the entrance to the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta. Albert Einstein once said: "Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth". Yes, the icon and inspiration for millions around the globe, Mahatma Gandhi still lives.

Today there are five statues of Gandhi in the U.S. and some 11, so far known, around the globe. It is no doubt that the words of Nobel laureate and former Premier of Israel, Shimon Perez are true to their core: "Mahatma Gandhi belonged to the future, not to the past."

Jose M. Kochuparampil is a freelance writer based in the U.S.

Copyright 2000-2005 The Hindu.

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