Gandhian-Style of Unity Experiment Again...

From: "Ramakrishna Deva"
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: Gandhian-Style of Unity Experiment Again...
Date: Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:31:58 +0000

Baba

"Anek diner pare toma're pelum ghare..." (P.S. 1932)

Purport:

  Baba, after a long time I have gotten You in my humble abode*. Baba, please remain in the deep recesses of my mind, making it effulgent. I will not let You go far away.
  O' Baba, I do not know how many years of penance have wiped away the darkness of my mind. By Your grace, the night sadhana has brought the crimson dawn to my doorstep**. 
  Baba, it is my deep desire that the dawn of my mind should remain up to eternity. And that it may keep me always in a blissful state. By Your divine touch, my mind is swaying endlessly in ecstasy.
  O' my dearmost Baba, You have done immense grace on me. You have taken advent in the cottage of my mind...

* Here Baba has used the term "ghar" which literally means 'home' or 'abode'. And the inner sense of "ghar" is the 'mind'.

** Arun' prabha't dva're= By this phrase Baba is indicating the awakening of the devotee.

GANDHIAN-STYLE OF UNITY EXPERIMENT

IN ANANDA MARGA ONCE AGAIN

Note: This entire letter is highly related with ongoing events in our organisation, AMPS, since 1990.

Namaskar,
During the Indian Independence movement, in the 1930's & 1940's, Gandhiji sincerely wanted to build up united India create unity. He mapped out a way to proceed. Yet we all know what happened - instead of unity, there was massive infighting, division, and ultimately the spilling of blood.

We should study this history and learn from the past. That is the value of history according to Baba. By studying the history we can avoid past mistakes instead of repeating them.

Unfortunately, since 1990, Gandhi's exact technique for bringing unity is being implemented in our Marga, with the same type of result: Infighting and division.

This type of Gandhian experiment should cease and we should adopt Baba's guideline for bringing unity in AMPS.

WHAT HAPPENED IN GANDHI'S TIME

Due to the communal award, in that pre-Indian Independence era, the political seats were allocated based on religion and social class etc: Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, businessmen, kings, etc. Each group was given a limited share of the power.

So all the groups - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, businessmen, kings - had a vote and political seats were granted on a communal basis. This happened gradually over the course of time. This inevitably led to heated competition between these groups in order to gain power.

Thus the India which had been characterized by a long era peaceful co-existence between Hindus and Muslims gave way to huge tension in the first half of the 20th century. They were no longer thinking of themselves as Indians but as members of their own caste, clan or group: Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, businessmen, kings etc.

MK Gandhi did not oppose this policy as a whole; he supported all points of this "communal award" i.e. granting of political power on a communal basis. Gandhi's only objection was that he did not want Harijans (Dalits) to be separated from the Hindus. He fought for that point and some adjustment happened: The Dalits and Hindus remained together in the communal award. But MK Gandhi supported all other parts of this communal award. He accepted the division between kings, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, businessmen. All would get political seats based on their caste and religion etc. MK Gandhi accepted this completely.

As tensions mounted, all wanted their autonomy - separate from the greater India. Muslims, Sikhs, kings all wanted to break from India and their raised their battle cry.

This psychology results when a group feels they are not getting as much power (i.e. political seats) as they feel they deserve. When they do not get those political seats, they think that, "If our group is not getting our share of the power then we should break away." Because their concern is not for the greater collective, they think it is best to grab the power by dividing the country or organisation, as the case may be. That is the defective psychology.

Actually MK Gandhi's big blunder began in 1932 when the communal power was given to India as an "award". Then from 1932 to 1947 the fire of hatred grew in India and culminated on 15 Aug 1947 when it reached full maturation. That was the day of the partition of India. What ensued was catastrophic destruction and massacres across India wherein millions upon millions were killed.

Gandhi's blunder can be broken down into two basic steps:
(1) The initial acceptance of the communal award; i.e. distribution of seats and granting of political power on a communal basis.
(2) The failure to start an economic justice movement for all communities of India against the ruling Britishers.

There is certainly more to this history, yet this letter's focus is on unity and what happens when various groups with their own separate identity and agenda attempt to unify under one roof.

WHAT IS A COMMUNAL AWARD

In review, the communal award means giving seats of power to rule a particular, land, region, or country based on one's group association-- whether it be Hindu & Muslim, White and Black, Shia and Sunni, or B, EC & H etc.

On the outside, some may think that this is a fair way to rule a country, or that it is a fair way give scholarships, or provide jobs etc. After all, why not let all the groups be represented. This is their shallow understanding. Gandhiji comes in this category.

In reality, the inner truth is that by inserting a communal award, by giving power based on factional representation, then that means the creation & maintenance of separate groups-- in which case divisions form, rivalries sprout, distrust mounts, hatred grows, fighting breaks out, hatred further multiplies, and the end result is invariably the ugly spilling of blood in such a deep-rooted, systemic fashion that people even forget what they are fighting about. Just there is an overflowing fury of ill will. It happens every time.

So if anyone ever wishes to destroy a nation, people, or organisation, then they need only insert a communal award. That will ensure division, racial riots, chaos, mayhem-- and utter destruction. And that is what Gandhi did; we should not let our AMPS follow in those footsteps, any longer.

GANDHI'S BLUNDER

By accepting the communal award, Gandhi maintained caste divisions etc. He naively thought he could bring the various castes together and form a united and peaceful India. But that is not the way unity works.

One cannot bring various groups together - each with their own independent identity and lust for power - and expect them to cooperatively and peacefully co-exist with each other.

Rather the demand of the day was to totally eliminate group and caste distinctions and rally the people around a common sentiment such as economic justice - not political power. But Gandhi did not do like this. In his simplicity he misunderstood the entire situation and in the end his devious political cohorts took advantage of the moment and broke India for their own power. That led to the near endless spilling of blood and decades and decades of fighting since.

BABA'S STAND: ONE HUMAN SOCIETY

As we know, Baba calls for the creation of one human society wherein differences of caste are 100% abolished. And in the practical sphere He has done this by advocating inter-caste marriages and so many other dharmic practices.                   
  
So creating divisions within humanity is not good; making any type of group or caste or sect is quite harmful. Thus Gandhiji's approach of maintaining caste distinctions did not solve any problems. Rather it led to spilling of blood and the loss of life.

Baba guides us to embrace one human society by breaking down the caste system, and making revolutionary marriages etc. Divisions and distinctions should be wiped away and we should see each and every person as the child of the Cosmic Father. This dharmic approach melts all differences and brings people together. This is one of Baba's grand gifts to humanity.

In their own way the Buddhists maintain caste differences, the Muslims maintain caste & class distinctions, the Christians and Jews view the society in a fragmented way, and Hinduism is bound up in the caste system etc.

Only Baba's divine teachings totally smash this dogma to form one human society.

GANDHIAN UNITY IN AMPS SINCE 1990

(ROUND 1)

The great tragedy is that since 1990, Baba's teachings of neo-humanism have not been followed and instead Gandhian unity has been adopted in AMPS. That means those involved maintain their own separate group identity - based on geo-sentiment, linguistic
sentiment, emotional attachment and other narrow outlooks.

For instance, from 1990 to 2002 or so, the various groups were living together
under one roof in AMPS. It was Gandhian unity. There was the Bengali camp, Bihari
camp, Chattisgarhi camp, overseas group, Oriya group and so many groups. And all were holding their own meetings and campaigning for representation and power. Each group was lobbying for xyz number of purodhas. Each camp was vying for power.
They were not living as brothers but as competing agents with separate agendas.
Until ultimately the tension and power struggle became too great and a split occurred.

The fight was not about establishing AM ideals but rather about each group gaining their more power. In that sense a split was inevitable since there was no balance. Rather each camp was always trying to gain a greater hold over the other.

Then the fight for Ananda Nagar took a sour turn. They starting battling for control
over various buildings and beatings, even killings, occurred. Before and after there were so many peace meetings wherein margiis from overseas went to India as facilitators etc. So many things occurred including the wanton destruction of properties and gardens in Ananda Nagar that were under the other group's control. It was all just plain ugly.

With that split, there were two overt pieces: Bihari and Bengali. Soon thereafter the EC camp also came into existence. And even then within those pieces there was Gandhian
unity. H group was divided on the basis of personal & emotional attachment. Some were in Rudrananda's wing and some under Nigamananda. And B group had its own schisms and factions as well.

Years passed in this way, where there were three separate distinct groups: H,
B, EC.

GANDHIAN UNITY IN AMPS SINCE 1990

(ROUND 2)

And now once again, some or more of these groups are trying to recreate a larger mass by means of Gandhian unity - i.e. by bringing together various factions, each with their own distinct group identity and desire for power. When we all know that Baba's dharmic teaching is that unity results from rallying around a high ideal and smashing all group and factional interests.

Yet B group recently incorporated EC into their fold - and each maintains their
separate identity and they campaign against each other for post and power. And still
others want to see B and H unite - as if that will be the solution. This is the type of unity they are trying to create.

All this is yet another cycle of Gandian unity in AMPS. We should learn the lesson from history and not walk down this road - yet again.

Baba's teaching is totally different. He does not want people to rally around their
geo-sentiment or linguistic sentiment or any small-minded point. Rather we are to view
one and all as the children of Parama Purusa. Where there are no distinctions and no
differentiations.

But alas, the leaders have yet to establish this in our Marga. Instead certain group
leaders are vying for power by rallying people who share their allegiance, i.e. share
their geo-linguistic sentiment. This is how the groups increase their size and on that
basis they want more power, purodhas, and control.

Side by side, well-intentioned and kind-hearted people really believe that we can create unity by bringing the various groups together under one roof. In this way, the Gandhian manner of unity is being recycled again and again.

Since 1990, whenever there has been an attempt at unity in our Marga, it is always about sharing political power amongst the various groups, just a Gandhi tried to do. And the result is always the same: Division and bloodshed.

HOW TO MOVE AHEAD

Now is the time to break the cycle. Through education and devotional sentiment, we must rally ourselves around Baba and His teachings of neo-humanism. When really we do not indulge in any groupism and adopt a universalistic outlook. Then real unity can be formed.

Baba says, "Human unity is purely an ideological unity, which means unity in the psychic sphere. Where there is psychic unity, physical unity will also occur. In the realm of unity, unity is always psychic – ideological unity means unity in the subtlest level of the mind. However, psychic or ideological unity may be affected if we encourage the exploitation of one group by another. So to avoid this there should not be any scope for exploitation in society [groupism]." (PNS-15, Talks on Prout)

So Baba wants that we should create ideological unity yet time and again some are reaching for Gandhian unity.

It is just like making the same mistake and anticipating a different result. This is a totally naive approach. It is just like one person walking behind a horse getting kicked, then being hospitalise, only to return two weeks later to feed the horse and again walking behind the horse and getting kicked yet again.

How many times must it happen before we learn.

This Gandhian experiment will never bring unity in AMPS - no matter how many times we try. As we speak, the fight for power is going on where one sub-group is vying for more purodhas as they feel they did not get their fair share of key posts.

Will this ever end? Not if we keep using Gandhian measures. Unity will only come by following Baba's divine guideline of neo-humanism: Seeing all as the representation of the Supreme and serving others, not being intoxicated by grabbing the post for their own group cause.

Namaskar,
Ramakrishna

Note 1:  HYPOCRITE LEADERS MAINTAIN CASTE SYSTEM

Here below Baba explicitly portrays how hypocrite leaders will denounce the caste system yet never truly try to eradicate it.

Baba says, "You may have observed many people in the world, who delivered long lectures against casteism and untouchability saying, 'No, all are equal. I will take food touched by any caste. If you give me filtered water in a clean glass I will not hesitate to swallow it--just watch me drink!...."
   
"But their inner intention was to maintain the caste system. Had they really wanted to remove caste-distinctions, they would have declared, 'The cause of this untouchability is caste-discrimination. Because of this caste-discrimination, the distinctions between high and low, touchable and untouchable have emerged. So let us break these bondages of caste, first of all!'..."    

"But they lacked such boldness and thus they did enormous harm to humanity." (NH-LOI, '87 edn, p.50)

The main point being that superficially speaking against the caste system yet simultaneously accepting those distinctions is total hypocrisy. A true revolutionary will call for the abolishment of the caste system outrightly.

Note 2: PLACEMENT OF SEATS WITH THE COMMUNAL AWARD

Here Baba explains how the communal award leads to the fight for the chair and ultimately division and slaughter.

Baba says, "As an example of the communal approach of the Government of India, take the case of Bengal. At that time reservation in the Bengal assembly was for 250 seats. 250 seats were created as part of provincial autonomy. Of these 250 seats, 120 were for Muslims, 80 were for non-Muslims, 25 were for British merchants – for the British businessmen of Calcutta to contest elections – a few were for Zaminders, a few were for universities, and a few were for labour leaders. The total: 250. In Bengal at that time, 45% of the population was Muslim and 55% was non-Muslim. That is, the land of Bengal was not only physically divided but also mentally divided, as a result of which Bengal was divided on the basis of communal consciousness, which is unnatural." (PNS-18, The Dangers of Communalism)

Note 3: BABA LEADING PROCESSIONS

Everyone knows that in the early history of Ananda Marga Baba Himself used to lead various processions wherein Ananda Margiis were loudly proclaiming:
 

(a) "Ma'nav-ma'nav ek hai, Ma'nav-ma'nav ek hai, Ma'nav-ma'nav ek hai..."
      Meaning: 'Humans-humans-one', 'Humans-humans-one'...

 
(b) "Ma'nav samaj avibha'jy hai..."
     Meaning: 'Human society is indivisible'...