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JAINA CONVENTION 2011
lovers,
and their
environmentalists all take inspirations from Gandhi's life and other dharmic teachings.
cure
renouncers
As an alternative perspective on contemporary India, despite all the recent advances in India's economy and consumerism, Gandhi's inspiration still thrives in modern India. Here are contemporary environmental activists and dharmic leaders who have modeled their lives taking their inspirations from dharmic teachings of India or have resisted the global consumerist pressure in various other ways: Sunderlal Bahuguna (now in his 80s, leader of the famous Chipko Movement in North India), Medha Patkar (A strong voice against big dams in Central India), Dr. Vandana Shiva (fierce critic of Western style globalism and capitalism), Anna Hazare (He was in headlines recently for his major protest against political corruption, also famous for his ecological experiments in his village in Central India), Pandurang Hedge (man) who is leading Chipko style movement in South India), late Pandurang Shastri Athavale (I have written about his global Swadhyaya Parivar in my book), late Anil Agarwal (Founder of Center for Science and Environment), Dr. Ramachandra Guha (Another fierce critic of Western style consumerism, capitalism, and Western style environmentalism including deep ecology), and hundreds of smaller voices spread all over India making India the land of biggest environmental movement on the planet (as noted by Dr. Christopher Chapple in his volume on Hinduism and Ecology published by Harvard University). There are also dozens of institutions in several Indian towns founded by Gandhi himself that are still flourishing with their own small-scale production of textiles and agriculture. In addition, almost every Indian political party must use at least the rhetoric based on Gandhi's values
"Live and Help Live" whenever there is a discussion on taking technology or any kind of help from the USA, UK, France or other major Western power. They all immediately attack their political opponents as if somebody just was sold out to the West. Finally, there are several recent major Bollywood blockbusters with several Gandhi-like figures reminding the audience of the message of Gandhi (non-violence and civil disobedience).
Yes, Gandhi's immortal soul and other dharmic traditions of India are still vibrant even in the 21st globalized consumerist society. Several decades ago, in his nonviolent movement for civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Christ furnished the spirit and motivation, while Gandhi furnished the method." It is time again to go back to these cherished values propounded by Christ, Gandhi, and Dr. King: nonviolence not just toward other human beings but also toward the entire earth. All three also practiced and preached an absolute simple lifestyle and it is time again to practice the same lifestyle.
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