What Would Gandhi think of Indian Government Targeting Human Rights Groups

Human Rights is a key issue of our time as protections are nravelled in pursuit of profit without accountability and violations without legal recourse.  This is symptomatic of a dictatorial or totalitarian disposition made visible.

I found this Amnesty India article below, interesting.  Amnesty are defenders of human rights.  I know of the human rights violations in Kashmir as I personally went there and noted approxiately 800,000 Indian military personal occupying the same number of Kashmiri’s.  I saw the protests in Srinigar.  I saw police with batons.  I saw barbed wire and military vehicles.  I witnessed a whole population under house arrest.  I saw the pain of this occupation through the voices of those feeling oppressed and under a constant state of alert or emergency as their people were shot, attacked, raped and intimidated. I visited Jammu which is closer to New Delhi, India and Hindu.  There is a strategy of Hindu population growth to swing the political vote and take over a country and its resources.

I heard of the mental health issues of a population who felt imprisoned and powerless. The longer this goes on the more likely is armed violence as the population cannot find a way out. If they believe nonviolent means don’t work then they are more vulnerable to genocide.  Given the growing muslim persecution around the world that is growing, I note China, Burma (Rohingya), the middle east and in other places in the world.  They can be simply called ‘terrorists’ in order to justify violence and access to resources but not to engage in conflict resolution to resolve disputation.

There is no international support or arbiter to make clear the situation the sovereignty issue of Kashmir/Jammu, India and Pakistan.  Kashmir the number 1 nuclear flash point in the world between India and Pakistan who both fight over Kashmir.  The Pakistani’s lay claim given the largely muslim population.  The Indian’s lay claim as Kashmir was a princely state under the British.

https://www.bbc.com/news/10537286

I was recently in touch with the Amnesty India office about Kashmir.  I have inquired into why there is not an Amnesty office in Kashmir/Jammu given the serious human rights violations.  Amnesty India was not able to deal with this issue given the political sensitivity of Kashmir I assumed.  This would be a contentious issue and could make this office vulnerable to persecution I realised later.  I am sure I am on the radar now.  The more I speak up the more radars I am on.  It is an interesting journey reclaiming democracy and freedom of speech as a birth right. However, I feel Gandhi overshadowing my life as an inspired figure who gently showed the world a way out of insanity. These words keep coming to me:  “The only devils in this world are those running around in our own hearts, and that is where all our battles should be fought” … Mahatma Gandhi.  This is the ring of truth.  Byron Katie who speaks of The Work around the world teaches inquiry which is questioning our beliefs for truth.  Refer http://thework.com/en

Whenever I contemplate India I always reflect on Gandhi.  I recall visiting his ashram and deeply pondered conflict and untruth.  I felt the tears well up when I walked into the bookshop at the Sabarmati ashram.  A Satyagrahi (follower of Gandhi in white) saw me laugh and cry at my feeling about him, his presence.  She took me to his room, unlocked it.  I saw the staff which was in my dream when I felt him visit me.  I sat on the floor with the spinning wheel between myself and the Satyagrahi and we spoke of peace education.  He had nothing but his sandles, glasses, a few books as his real wealth was an inner sight and inner peace.  For Gandhi experienced inner peace as God as truth and truth was God. You know it is true as joy is there, love is felt, peace settles.  His spiritual power was grounded in nonviolence, ‘do no harm’ and was the real power that was not economics or material wealth.  He was living truth as an experience. It is not out of books, although he knew the law, he knew the scriptures, yet he was living his truth in the moment.  All power is in the moment.

I feel truth is the real lesson for India and it was why he was born into this spiritual country with its roots in egalitarianism (Indus civilisation). He sought to show the people they had the power of self respect, truth and love.  It is also a lesson for Kashmiri’s as well as they can be coopted into believing violence is the way out of oppression, it is not, it deepens it.

Gandhi witness the British atrocities. I recall the massacre at Amritsar. He walked around the site seeing the blood on the ground where over a thousand were killed without escape and unarmed.  Refer historical facts  https://www.britannica.com/event/Massacre-of-Amritsar

Below is a scene out of the movie.  It is a message for any person seeking power over another (oppression) and the importance of nonviolence for those feeling they have no power (oppressed).  When I watch the scene below I cannot imagine the fear of being attacked when defenseless.  Yet it is the highest courage to allow it without striking back.

What is noteworthy is the unquestioned thinking of what I would term a dominant class who can use laws, force, division and intimidation to oppression the rights of others they deem a threat on some level. they may not break any laws but may be a threat given their numbers, given their religion, ethnicity or some other characteristic.  The strategy of power and control in an occupied country is a legacy from past civilisations. Today it is a form of dominator economics where value is inherent in business interests rather than civil society.

I note these days that nGandhi’s legacy in India has been tarnished as he is seen as less than what he was.  I felt him in the dream to be a wise teacher. I feel that was truth from a spiritual perspective and thorugh his example was able to show the power of love in action without the desire to hurt another.  I really love that.  As it is true we are one family but have divided.  Jane Elliott the famous Texan educator would bring to light discrimination in its many forms whenever we make another feel less, this is what amplifies powerlessness which creates conflict and potential violence.

Below the video I have posted the Amnesty article and their concerns that India is increasingly shutting down human rights organisations which suggests they feel threatened at possible exposure in respect of human rights violations.  Amnesty are nonviolent human rights defenders that have offices around the world. They have credibility on an international level for their work to ensure the safety of those vulnerable.  Refer https://www.amnesty.org/en/ and countries (selected India) https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/

 

Below is a Amnesty article about a visit from the police and their concerns at being shut down.  Their call for help in this article is evident.  They too are subject to demonisation and violence suggesting they are viewed as a threat. Organisations engaged in Human Rights should be protected by international law and opinion to assist in preventing and stopping abuses.

Government Of India Treating Human Rights Organisations Like Criminal Enterprises

Government Of India Treating Human Rights Organisations Like Criminal Enterprises

By Amnesty International India
Bengaluru/Delhi: 26 October 2018 11:07 am

Amnesty India’s bank accounts have been frozen by the Enforcement Directorate, effectively stopping our work. Amnesty India is thus the latest target of the government’s assault on civil society in the country. The accounts of Greenpeace India were frozen earlier this month.

“Government authorities are increasingly treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises”, said Aakar Patel. “As an organisation committed to the rule of law, our operations in India have always conformed with our national regulations. The principles of transparency and accountability are at the heart of our work.”

Around 1:30 pm on 25 October, a group of officers from the Enforcement Directorate entered our premises and locked the gates behind them. They ordered the Amnesty India staff to remain in office, shut their laptops, and not use their mobile phones.

The focus of the Enforcement Directorate’s questioning was the relationship between two entities: Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and Amnesty International India Foundation.

Most of the documents asked for during the search were available in the public domain or were already filed with the relevant authorities. Details of our current structure, which was the focus of much of the questioning, have been available on our website since 2014.

However, ahead of the raids, the Indian authorities leaked a cache of their internal documents marked “secret” that appear to cast Amnesty India’s operations as a dark web of intrigue.

“Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance and dissent,” said Aakar Patel.

“We could not agree more with the Prime Minister when he says that periods of repression, like during the Emergency, have left a stain on India’s history. Sadly, those dark days are now casting a shadow over India again. Instead of protecting human rights, as it vowed to do, the government is now targeting the people who fight for them”, said Aakar Patel.

Over 40 lakh Indians have supported Amnesty India’s work over the last six years and around one lakh Indians have made a financial contribution.

For more information please contact:

Smriti Singh
Email: smriti.singh@amnesty.org.in
Phone: +919818890199, +919739981606

This is another good clip which showed the strategy of Gandhi where he foresaw the British leaving India. They laughed at him as they believed in their power.

I feel a great love of India and Kashmir, the wisdom is within all people.  Your challenge is to discover the truth within yourself.  There is no enemy when peace is your goal.

 

Mohandas Gandhi

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”

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