Dilip Simeon started off by stating that rebellion against dominant rhetoric has been his engagement since a very long time.
On Gandhi
Prof Simeon went through the papers that he was carrying along. He held up a 1931 photograph of Mahatma Gandhi with the female textile- mill workers of Darwin-Manchester.1931 was a time when the Swadeshi Movement was at its peak. This resulted into a decline in imports of foreign garment. The decline severely affected the female textile workers of England. They lost their livelihood.
It was in this background that Mahatma Gandhi decided to pay a visit to the female workers. They were convinced about the significance of the Swadeshi Andolan and also demonstrated their solidarity. The photograph is a material proof of this genuine love and respect. Dilip Simeon added that no other World Leader could possibly click a photo (a brilliant one!) with workers who have lost their livelihoods precisely because of him!
Gandhi was not a peace builder, he was a trouble maker. The British documents of the early 20th century record Mahatma Gandhi as an ‘anarchist’. He was a rebel/revolutionary with a difference. He realized that non-violence is in the ‘core’ of courage.
Ideological Blinkers
The terrorist insurgency of India began in 1907. Khudiram Bose is among the first ‘martyrs’ of the Indian Revolutionary Terrorist Movement against British Imperialism. Dilip Simeon described the event that led to the martyrdom of Khudiram Bose. He clearly pointed out that Bose never killed any British officer instead killed two women who were the officer’s friend’s wife and daughter. Martyrdom is the greatest enemy of truth. The alive interpret martyrdom. The focus is never on what actually happened. No one asked why they were punished. The murders of the two women are explained in terms of ‘collateral damage’ and abberation!!
To explain this further he quoted a recent example of Graham Stains Judgment (The murder of an Australian missionary, Graham Stains and his two young children) The court observed that communal animosity reduces the crime of murder. In this obnoxious judgment, which reduced the sentence of the Murderer from ‘capital punishment’ to ‘life time imprisonment’, there was no mention made of the two young kids who were also burnt alive. This example amply proves that, the focus is never on the act of crime committed. Prof. Simeon also mentioned a 1985 PUDR Case which urged the court to investigate upon the Sikh massacre of 1984. PUDR also submitted a report to sufficiently prove their stance. The Judge harshly dismissed the plea and stated that the Sikh massacre of 1984 had a ‘background’. The background was the murder of ‘Indira Gandhi’ (a Hindu) by her Sikh bodyguard. Thus in yet another instance ‘communal hatred’ reduces and even invalidates the crime as horrendous as ‘mass murder’.
How is violence justified? How do ideologies help in this process of justification?
Dilip Simeon, who is critical about the Naxal Movement, was once a part of it. (….I was a Maoist and now I am not a Maoist…) He was in the revolutionary underground of the first Naxal Movement in 1969-1972.
He said that Naxalism is an intellectually driven movement. The use of violence is justified by saying that the goal (which is supposedly good) is more important than the way implemented to realize it. There is always an element of faith which justifies violence for a ‘greater’ good. Dilip Simeon referred to an EPW (around 2006) article, where in Azad and Ganpati the general secretaries of the Maoist groups justified the use of violence. When they were asked about the killing of civilians the answer given was remarkable. They said that it was unfortunate (a useful euphemism) but added that war actions cannot have clinical precision!
Prof. Simeon explained that ideology is like a stone in your head. It is dogmatic and claims to have superior knowledge of the world and good intentions. Thus with such ideological blinkers it becomes very easy to ‘dismiss’ the other viewpoint. All ideological dogmas exonerate themselves from moral values which are applicable to individuals. This self- exoneration helps them to act with impunity.
Militarism and Democracy
In his lecture he explained how Fascism and Radical Conservatism have embraced democracy for militaristic goals. Modernity is all about war and militarism. It is overtaking our culture. He pointed out at the usage of words – as in war against terror; to fight AIDS.
The modern nation state first democratized military. All communities were democratically allowed to be a part of military. Democratization of military (violence) was aimed at organizing people for military (violent) purposes. Dilip Simeon interestingly draws a link of similarity between the right wing and the left wing extremism. The similarity being, a mutual admiration among the opposing groups, when it comes to ‘mobilizing’ masses. Dilip Simeon mentioned that the Erstwhile Soviet Union was ‘an armed camp of the proletariat’ from the day of its formation till its collapse in 1989. He also mentioned that notorious a dictator like Hitler was also democratically elected.
Prof Simeon further adds that in our present times which are characterized by violence the role of ‘truth’ is diminished to a mathematical dimension.
In his conclusion Prof Simeon stated that Democracy is the ‘Rule of Law’. Real generosity to the future is giving everything to the present. Futuristic ideas are ideological in nature. The focus should be in the present. Our intelligence lies in our capacity to make linkages. He further added that we live in an Era of Nihilism which does not provide any common premise to discuss issues of concern.
QUESTIONS
Relevance of Gandhi in Present Times…..
Gandhi considered truth and non-violence, more important than nationalism. As mentioned earlier intelligence is our capacity to make linkages, this could be explained further when we learn how Gandhi interpreted Mahabharata. He did not glorify the violence in Mahabharata on the contrary he pointed out at the ‘futility’ of violence.
-N. Shobhana
Kaanda-Lehsun 
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