Posted by Daisy Cobb
“The fire of independence is burning just as bright in my breast in the most fiery breast in this country, but ways and methods differ.”
There is a lost part of history that the British Government has kept secretive since the end of World War Two. This is a forgotten chapter in the book of India’s History. There were actually thousands of Indian Soldiers that were duped into fighting for Germany under the rouse that they would be fighting to rid India of the British. In April of 1941 Subhas Chandra Bose, an Indian revolutionary leader, came to Berlin in hopes of securing aid in his quest for Indian Independance. Within six months the Germans began issuing propeganda speaches, radio broadcasts and flyers in hopes of getting more Indians to join the fight. In 1941 Germany recognized Bose as the leader of the provisional Free Indian Government in exile. He thought the Germans would train the soldiers and give them provisions, weapons and uniforms in order to take back India by force. In the POW camps Germany recruited thousands of Indian soldiers captured from Rommel’s Afrika campaign. These soldiers became known as the Free India Legion. They swore an oath to Germany that is said to be “I swear by God this holy oath that I will obey the leader of the German race and state, Adolf Hitler, as the commander of the German armed forces in the fight for India, whose leader is Subhas Chandra Bose.”
The Free India Legion believed they would be trained by the Germans and parachuted to India to combat the British. However, things were not to be for them. After the battle of Stalingrad it was clear that Germany would neither be in the position to assist much less drive the British out of India. Bose saw that there would be no hope for the German alliance and fled to Japan where he tried to raise a force to march on India. The Free India Legion never made it to India and was used in various propeganda battles in Holland and France until they were driven out with the other German troops after D-Day. A year after the war the Indian troops were sent home and released after short jail terms. A few leaders were put to trial but the charges were dropped after the Indian Army mutinied and civilians protested in the streets.Eventually Indian Independance was secured by Gandhi’s non-violent policies that showed the British that India would no longer be a co-operative part of it’s empire. Bose never got to see India’s independance as he died in 1945. Though at least now the story his attempts to free India will be known.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Posted by Daisy Cobb
30, Jan. 1948 in Delhi’s Birla House Mahatma Gandhi was assasinated by Nathuram Godse, an angry Hindu that considered Gandhi’s non-violent policies treasonous. Godse and his accomplices considered Gandhis non-violent was tresonous because they thought he was appeasing Muslims and aiding to the suffering of Hindus by doing this. In reality the times after India’s freedom from Great Britain were very turbulant. Both Hindu and Muslim were going at each other and nearly a million people died in riots before India and Pakistan had partitioned. The partitioning was something Gandhi was deeply oppossed to and he stated “Before partitioning India, my body will have to be cut into two pieces.” Though he later realized that an even bloodier civil war could erupt if India was to stay a single nation and encouraged the Congress Party to accept the partition. After he saw the damage that had been done in the fighting between Hindus and Muslims Gandhi went on another venture into non-violent protest and went on a hunger strike. He stated that he would not end the hunger strike until the violence stopped and India gave 550 million Rupees it was withholding to Pakistan. This action led to his passing at the age of 78 when he was shot three times by Nathuram Godse as we was on his way to a prayer meeting. Gandhi was a man who lived and died for peace. In doing so he became an immortal martyr and though it is sad to say, may have been worth more dead than alive. To this day people who support peace in the world don T-shirts and bumperstickers that repeat the words of Gandhi and bear his likeness. That is because his message was not only for India. It is the wisdom of a country that for most is undiscovered but there are those who can find peace and share it with others. One day peace will no longer be an undiscovered country but until then the words of the great man will be left as they should be, to the ages.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress.”
For the first time in nearly fifty years a Greek Prime Minister, Costas Karamanlis will make a diplomatic trip to Turkey. In the past there has been diplomatic conflict that nearly sent the two countries to war. The trip to Turkey is seen as a good start to ease cold diplomatic relations between the two nations but little is expected to be accomplished in the technical sense. However, a little bit is better than nothing and it is always better to try to talk things out before beginning a blood bath. The fact that the Greeks and Turks are able to take this step forward is a positive sign.
The Greeks and Turks have had harsh relations for decades. The last time an exchange such as this had occured was 1959. Both sides are warry of each other and suspicious. There is a territorial dispute beween the two over islands in the Agean Sea, particularly Cyprus. The two nearly came to blows over such things ten years ago. Though there has been a great deal of progress towards peaceful relations made lately such as a joint pipelines for gas and trading more freely with each other. There are still disputes over Turkish planes flying over islands the Greeks claim to own, which occur on a daily basis that add to political problems and there is some dispute over who owns some rockyy islands in the Agean. It is clear that this visit will probably not do a whole lot to end the problems between Turkey and Greece but any dialog that can be established is an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“True humility means most strenuous and constant endeavour entirely directed to the service of humanity.”
Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest was also probably the most famous Kiwi in the world. He is absolute proof that ordinary people can do the most extraordinary things. In 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest. Hillary was a humble man though and always gave credit to his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay, without Norgay he probably wouldn’t have made it. He claimed to have climbed the summit similtaniously with Norgay for decades before finally admitting he got there first in his book. Hillary was a very generous person who created a trust to benefit the people of Nepal, which provided them with schools, hospitals, bridges and airfields. In 2003 he was made an honorary citizen of Nepal for all the work that he put into Nepal. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth 2 in one of her forst official acts as Queen in 1953 and in 1995 recieved the highest honor a monarch can bestow, the Order of the Garter,for chivalry. He rose from a humble bee keeper to a great adventurer and in the process improved the lives of people across Nepal. It only goes to prove that anyone can change the world by changing the way people look at it and sometimes that takes an act that to most would seem impossible.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“Terrorism and deception are weapons not of the strong but of the weak.”
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Nation Building, DM Dassanayaka and his bodyguard were killed and ten people injured after their convoy hit a claymore, which is a type of mine that can be exploded by remote detination. This sort of mine is frequently used by the Tamil Tigers, a militant group that wishes to seperate from Sri Lanka. The conflict is a long one that began in 1983 and Mr. Dassanayake and his associate are just the latest victims in a conflict that has claimed the lives of at least 70,000 people as the Tigers and Sri Lankan government take turns killing each other. This slaying may be retribution for the killing of the Tiger’s intelligence leader that was killed earlier in the week. Terrorism is a cowardly way to make a point and to achieve independance. Meanwhile the twentyfive year conflict rages on with few signs of stopping. Perhaps the next generation will be better at settling their differences than the current.
Posted by Daisy Cobb
Greetings to all who are reading this. I hope you’ve all had a good introduction to the new year. Now it is time to start thinking about what we want to do to improve this year so that it is greater than the last. That could be a personal goal or resolution or we could look at our world and do something that will aid it in becoming better for many people rather than just oneself. Gandhi often said that you have to be the change you wish to see in the world. That is very true as nothing ever gets changed by wishing alone. One must become a point of light. Seeing what is wrong is part of the problem but taking action to remedy the wrong is what makes points of light. These points of light exist everywhere in the world and we may know some of them by name like Jane Goodall and the Dalai Lama but many go unnoticed by the masses, though they are none the less important. In truth we all may not be capable of leading large groups of people, touching their lives with our words and deeds and nine out of ten odds says the world will never chant your name, for better or worse. However, that does not mean that the individual is helpless and without purpose. After all, a single drop of rain is capable of raising the sea. We all have purpose and everthing we do or sometimes don’t do, effects the rest of the world, no matter how minutly that may be. Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference in the world to someone in need. So I encourage you, good reader, be the change, help heal the world and become a point of light.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“The truth is that cowardice itself is violence of a subtle and therefore dangerous type and far more difficult to eradicate than the habit of physical violence.”
In a particularly cowardly action an assassin executed Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, with shots to the neck and chest before blowing himself up while she left a campaign rally in Rawalpindi near Islamabad. As far as I know many other people were killed and wounded in the blast but a definate number has not been specified. The last I heard the death toll was 16. She was pronounced dead at the Rawalpindi General Hospital after surgeons failed to repair the damage and it is unclear whether it was the bullet wounds, blast or combination of the two are responsible for her death, not that it really matters.
The scene outside the hospital was said to be quite emotional as Bhutto’s supporters wept and comforted each other even hours after her death was announced. Many of them were said to have been shouting “Dog, Musharaff, Dog” insinuating that the President was responsible for the hit. Though, it may be impossible to tell for sure as there were many militant groups that wanted Bhutto dead and recently Al Queada has claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile Pakistan seems to be standing on the verge of civil war. The people are raging in the streets in aggressive protests pouring into the streets and burning vehicles. The aggression is particularly strong in Bhutto’s home province of Sindh and all security forcees are said to be on red alert to contain the angry mobs.
If there was one thing Gandhi hated perhaps worse of all, even more than violence was cowardice. The assassin in this case was clearly guilty of cowardice. It’s bad enough to decide you are going to end someone’s physical existance but to take out numerous people in an act of senseless slaughter is even more cowardly. Any fool can die for what he/she believed in but it is better to live for what one believes in unless there is no alternative. Gandhi was an excellent example of living for one’s cause until the end, not at his own hands but at the hands of a villianous assassin. In this action he became a martyr and one dead martyr is worth many living people fighting for their cause as the martyr will live forever in the hearts and minds of the people.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“Jesus was the most active resister known perhaps to history. His was nonviolence par excellence.”
“Jesus never uttered a loftier or a grander truth than when he said that wisdom cometh out of the mouths of babes.”
With Christmas fast approaching I though it relevant to talk about it’s meaning. Christmas itself is said celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, which is true but in a sense it is the wrong day entirely. According to historians Jesus Christ was most probably born in the Spring since shepherds would not have been tending their sheep outdoors in the Winter time. It is also suggested that the three kings AKA Wise Men or Magi were following the planet Jupiter and reached the side of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on Christmas Day. Though it is uncertain by far which day is actually the birthday of Christ it is certain that Christianity had a reason for choosing Dec. 25th. Long ago when Christianity was the faith of the Roman Empire it sought a way to get more followers by making Christmas on the same day as a popular and fun Pagan holiday that celebrated Winter Solstice that many people were fond of. In doing this they incorperated the Pagan celebration into Christianity and attracted more followers.
Gandhi was very fond of Jesus’ teachings of non-violence, compassion and of his martyrdom. He had stated in his early years that he did not like the Christians but liked Jesus Christ. Of course from his perspective it would be difficult to like people who shouted at you as you came out of your holy place and insulted your beliefs as some Christians would stand on the corner and shout at the Indians at the time. He later befriended some Christians when he studied in England who convinced him to read the bible and he became an admirer of Jesus Christ. He never believed as the Christians do that Jesus was the son of God but respected His words and wisdom. Gandhi also made statement that religion was like a tree. The trunk was representative of religion as the basics of most if not all religious faiths are very similar if not the same and the branches represented the individual faiths. In truth one doesn’t have to belong to a specific religion or those who don’t believe in any religion, to be a good person or understand the underlying meaning of Christmas. Labels are not important so long as people understand that they need to be compassionate, loving, willing to give to those less fortunate and tolerant of those who are different. In reality those are things that often happen in between the hustle and bustle surrounding the time that leads up to Christmas and the ever dreaded Christmas Eve last minute shopping. People drop a bit of change in the Salvation Army bucket or to a homeless person. It’s not a big deal really to those that give but to someone in need it is. Finally there is the joy and pleasure of the wee ones. The magic of Christmas is most clearly evident in the eyes of the children. Everything is shining and bright and to most of them there is no problem in the world that can’t be solved with a bit of fruit and a few toys in an oversized sock hung from the fireplace. I’m a might busy right now and I don’t rightfully know if I’ll have time to write in the time up until Christmas so if I don’t get back before then I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas full of as much peace and harmony as loud, crowded family gatherings will allow.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“It is my firm conviction that nothing enduring can be built on violence.”
This afternoon a young man went on a violent rampage in a shopping mall in Omaha, Nebraska. Nineteen year old Robert Hawkins entered Von Maur, an upscale department store and opened fire in a rampage that took nine lives, including his own, and injured five other people, two seriously. This young man, who had depression and recently lost his job, left a suicide note that stated he wanted to be famous and go out in style. In reality it is doubtful that he will get what he wants. Sure, it’ll be talked about for a few days, maybe a week or two tops but soon something else will happen and this young man’s insane rampage will have been forgotten by all but the people who’s lives it has effected. This fellow went on a violent rampage in order to be famous but that fame will be fleeting and soon he will be forgotten because a single violent act on a small scale is memorable only to those involved in the incident.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Posted by Daisy Cobb
“Buddha renounced every worldly happiness because be wanted to share with the whole world his happiness which was to be had by men who sacrificed and suffered in the search for truth.”
His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has recently announced that he may go about the way of selecting his successor in a less than traditional manner. He has outlined in India a series of options that may be used in selecting Tibet’s next spiritual leader. The option that I’ve already discussed before was that he would choose the next Dalai Lama before he left this world. Another option would be one in which I’ve also discussed, the Traditional method in which Tibet’s high ranking Lamas would search for the new Dalai Lama in the form of an exceptional child. This would of course take them out of Tibet or any part of Chinese controled territory as His Holiness has stated that when he returns it will be in a free country. His Holiness has stated for quite some time that he wished Tibet’s leadership to have more Democracy so the third option would be to have the senoir Lamas select the new Dalai Lama in a manner that is not unlike the selection of the Catholic Pope.
The Dalai Lama’s recent actions have come under much scrutiny from Beijing even more than usual. The Chinese government has declared that any Lama who was not appointed by them is illegal in further attempts to control Tibet’s people through their religion. They accuse His Holiness of not respecting religious tradition. What would the Chinese government, being Athiest, know about religious tradition and the selection of holy leaders? They are really hoping to appoint a new Dalai Lama that is pro-Chinese like their current puppet the fake Paunchin Lama. The real Paunchin Lama was arrested and probably killed, though according to their beliefs it is impossible to kill a Lama. China is frightened of the Lamas, all of them but especially the Dalai Lama, because they know that they can never dominate the people’s beliefs and that the Tibetans will take the work of their religious leaders over that of China. Over the years they have brought much suffering and domination to the Tibetan people and religious figures as well. They fear some of the world’s most peaceful people simply because they do not understand and that is the most terrifying thing of all in human nature. They call His Holiness a splitter or seperatist, perhaps that will be one day but in the end it seems he’s just a peaceful man who simply wants to go home and allow his people to live without the threat of tyranny, torture and murder.