India, Benign Chaos

by Marianne Hamilton, WAMM

India is a fantastic country. It is a cacophony of sights and sounds. It is a good place to go to become totally confused. It is also a good place to go to learn how to deal with life as it comes. Someone once called it "benign chaos."

India is the world's largest democracy, with almost one billion people living in 25 different states (like separate nations really, each speaking a different language), with seven major religions, and all living together in comparative peace. The exception, of course, is Kashmir, where an ongoing war seems to have no end in sight.

Sarah Standefer and I were in India a few months ago. We had an opportunity to meet with several peace groups and speak with Indian people about the prospects for peace. We were concerned about India's bomb and nuclear tests. They were concerned about U.S. arrogance and domination. Even though they were upset about the recent nuclear weapons test in India, they seemed to understand their government's dilemma.

At one point on our trip we were about fifteen miles from the nuclear testing ground in the Thar Desert. It is a part of the country very sparsely settled so it is home to many military installations. Even on a camel we could not travel there. It is also very beautiful.

In Dalhi we had an opportunity to meet with a group of about 30 student activists at Nahru University. Some had been protesting the bomb and, like us, were worried about where it was leading. Others were working on social issues. One woman from Nagaland was active in the women's rights movement there. The women's movement is very strong in India. They were as happy to meet activists from the United States as we were to meet them. It showed us the importance of networking with groups around the world. We are not alone.

In Bombay we had several meetings with Crescy John, an activist, feminist, theologian, and former physicist. She travels about the world meeting and working with other religiously-motivated people who are working with the poor. She deals daily with the remnants of the outlawed Indian caste system. She, too, had a hard time understanding why a democratic nation like the U.S. has not done more about disarmament, which would free up money for helping the poor.

Crescy took us to a poor village just outside of Bombay. Here we climbed up many flights of stairs to a sparsely furnished home office. We all sat barefooted and cross-legged on the floor to meet with Daniel, an ascetic, Gandhi-like man who is the director of the Gandhi Movement Friendship Village outside of Bombay. He, too, was working with the poor to educate and help them sustain themselves. Although there is a system in place to help the poor it only touches about 40 percent of them and even that is very inadequate.

While speaking with a representative of the Indian International Fellowship of Reconciliation, we soon realized that, as with most other groups we met, one of the greatest menaces they face, besides the Indian nuclear test, is the building of hundreds of dams all around the country. Land is being confiscated, people left homeless, farmers left with nothing to farm. As a result, the cities and slums are growing.

Perhaps one of the most interesting and unusual meetings we had was with a group of about 20 retired military officers, now members of the United Services Institute. The Institute was brought together by General Satish Nambiar, who was commander of the United Nations peace keeping forces in Bosnia in the early 1990s. He resigned his position in protest of the "duplicity" of the U.S. and the United Nations in Bosnia.

During our meeting with the men and women of Nambiar's Institute, it became obvious that they felt they needed to let people in America know where they stand and their present feelings about the U.S., as well as their own approach to the problems of peace. We were left with no doubt that, as long as America has not ratified the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and has avoided any kind of time table for nuclear disarmament, India had no alternative but to continue developing their own. They were clearly frustrated.

U.S. paternalism and arrogance was particularly upsetting to these officers. They represent a huge country and expect to be treated as equals. "The creditability of the U.S. is in question" they told us.

"We have seen war and we do not wish it on anybody. The military is there to put out fires, not to start them," they informed us. "We do not condone nuclear tests, but look at the facts, China is supplying nuclear arms to Pakistan and the U.S. turns a blind eye." Pakistan is also buying arms from Afghanistan, where, they pointed out, there have been fifteen generations of war. "We do not start wars," they emphasized. "The civilian passes the buck to the military." "Society is at war. Not nations."

They pointed out that in war they target only military targets. "We have shown restraint since 1974 on the subcontinent." The nature of war has changed. "The U.S. has made a gentlemanly war impossible." Now it is a matter of pushing buttons. "The perceptions here in India are that the U.S. only understands force."

It was hard for them to understand why the U.S. does not use its influence to stop Pakistan (or perhaps they understand all too well). Besides getting arms from China, they pointed out that trained terrorists come across the border. They do not wear uniforms. "Pakistani soldiers in Kashmir do not wear their uniforms so they cannot be identified."

The members of the Institute recognized the problems in Kashmir. One of the women told us they sent relief packages to Kargil, where there was heavy fighting. They acknowledged the problems that India has in dealing with the poor. "Increasing military use in governance will ultimately fail."

Of great concern was that the U.S. does not honor the United Nations. They were speaking specifically of our invasion of Yugoslavia. More than once we were asked, not only by the military but by peace activists and others, "Who gave the United States the authority to rule the world? The U.S. dictates all the rules and breaks them all. Stability does not suit the U.S. agenda. The perception here is that the U.S. only understands force."

They emphasized that they were not generalizing in their remarks to us. And indeed we always had to keep in mind that we were dealing with a different mind-set and a different culture. They were clearly frustrated with the United States. "The U.S. role will never be accepted as long as it uses the subcontinent for its own power." "Unlimited greed underlies war. On earth there is enough for everyone. There is no need for greed."

My trip to India really impressed me with the place of India in the context of today's world, its importance in pulling the world together, its historical center in advancing the world toward peace and oneness. Crescy John feels that India's role is too ancient and important to collapse in the face of present problems.

We learned a great deal in India and we were deeply touched by the kindness, generosity, and openness of the people. Their depth of understanding of the human condition is a beacon for peace.

India Peace Resources

India Peace Centre
C.K. Naidu Road
Civil Lines, Nagpur 440 001
Maharashtra, India
91-712-556-952 (phone/fax)

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
197, Vassant Enclave
New Delhi, India
91-11-6153160 (phone)
91-11-6152009 (fax)
ipcs@vsnl.com
www.ipcs.org