The Gandhian Philosopher Denounces Religious Violence and Pleads for Peace Education

Many people are quite vocal against violence, particularly religious violence so rampantly common throughout the world today. However, when a professor of philosophy, who has been arrested for defying civil laws in a Gandhian manner to oppose violence in Iraq, raises his voice against state sponsored violence it suddenly looks more real.

Professor Douglas Allen of University of Maine, arrested in September 2006 in front of Senator Olympia Snowe in Bangor, ME, described his experience at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth as part of Patanjali Lecture series of the Center for Indic Studies on May 10 and 11.

Professor Allen’s evening lecture on Thursday, May 10, was entitled “Religion and Violence:  Why is Contemporary Religion So Violent and Does Mahatma Gandhi Provide a Relevant Alternative to Religious Violence?” outlined the current concept of dominant religions which advocate exclusivism. That eventually leads to rightist approach in confrontational dealing with people of other religions.

Dr. Allen singled out right wing Christian groups, along with President Bush, to be responsible for the current situation in Iraq.

Pointing out Gandhian approach, Dr. Allen, whose education includes a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Banaras Hindu University in 1964, outlines a series of violence that Gandhi opposed. Gandhi considered economic exploitation, political manipulation, and educational contriving as much part of a violent society as the physical or emotional violence.

In Dr. Allen’s opinion, the non-violence approach of Mahatma Gandhi is assertion of truth, which if practiced properly is overpowering. Gandhi believed it to be courageous to be non-violent, which ultimately disarms the aggressor. Professor Allen, however, maintained that Gandhi was not an absolute pacifist. In fact, Gandhi believed in having a state coercive force to protect the freedom of people.

Many questions were posed to Professor Allen from the audience, including under what conditions Gandhi would condone violence. Dr. Amrut Patel suggested a model of predator, prey/victim, indifferent, and obstructionists, in which even Gandhi or India was a victim of British predators. Professor Allen questioned the very premise of the model, as Gandhi had always refused the concept of victimhood.

In his second lecture on Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and peace education delivered on Friday, May 11, Dr. Allen emphasized a need for Gandhian view of education. “Central Gandhian ethical, cultural, spiritual, social, and humanistic priorities regarding peace and nonviolence, love and compassion, character and virtue, are usually ignored, occasionally attacked as unrealistic, and sometimes acknowledged but then unfunded and marginalized.”

He posited that “In Gandhi’s education perspective, most of our “successful” students and professors, even those with PhDs and numerous publications, as well as those in society with positions of wealth and power, are morally and spiritually undeveloped. In a deeper Gandhian sense, they are uneducated human beings.”

Dr. Allen’s lectures were received with rapt attention, and left deep and long lasting impression. Professor Raymond Laoulache of Mechanical Engineering said, “that lecture will keep me mentally engaged for at least next 20 days.”

Professor Allen pointed out “although Gandhi’s peace education is not without its weaknesses or limitations, I conclude that it has great value in critiquing other models of education, serving as a catalyst allowing us to rethink our normal assumptions and dominant concepts and positions, and offering new, creative, positive alternatives.”

Dr. Bal Ram Singh, who introduced Professor Allen to the audience, said “Dr. Douglas Allen is closer to the ideals of ancient teachers like Maharshi Patanjali after whom the lecture series is named. Teachers were known as acharyas who taught student through their own conduct.”

“Scholars like Dr. Allen inspire us as professors to think anew about education, and we must design an education system that promotes sustainable life both socially and environmentally”, added Singh.

Undergraduate student Justin Rocha observed, “the discussion opened my eyes to the various forms of violence and how it pervades our education. I'm a literature major, and I'm taught from the start to read and then tear apart previous critics' reviews and claim
that my own are true, even if I don't wholly believe what I'm writing…..This is also a type of violence, and dishonest as well.”

The Center for Indic Studies publishes Patanjali Lectures and its recordings, and makes them available for public use.

 

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