If any country can teach the world the non-violent way of life, then it got to be India, feels Bernie Meyer, famously known as the American Gandhi.
Mr. Bernie not only resembles the Father of the Nation, but also practises the Gandhian philosophy.
Speaking to The Hindu , the American Gandhi said, “Even if a small section of the population of India picks up the Gandhian philosophy, things will change not only in India but the world over. The country has the capacity to teach the world non-violence and peace, as this is the country of Gandhi,” he said.
According to him, fringe groups should restrain from propagating narrow-minded religious ideas and think universally.
“If we truly believe and own up Gandhi, then we should follow what he had said. Gandhi said ‘I am a Hindu, a Jew, a Christian and a Moslem and for me God is truth and truth is God’. If we follow his principles, then India will be in a position to lead the global peace march,” said Mr. Bernie.
The American Gandhi said Gandhian principles should be made part of global school curriculum.
Talking about his association with Gandhian philosophy, Mr. Bernie who is a resident of Washington State, said: “I was serving as a priest during the 1965 Vietnam war. I saw large-scale misery and during the same period racism was very high in the US. The situation upset me and I thought that I should take an active part in the civil rights movement. It was during those days that a few friends of mine introduced me to the Gandhian philosophy. And it instantly appealed to me,” he said.
According to Mr. Bernie, media has a major role in advocating global peace.
“A biased media will increase the animosity. Un-biased journalism that follows the middle path can work wonders. There are many courageous journalists who take up causes, but many also get killed. We need more such journalists,” he said.
Mr. Bernie strongly advocated the growth of alternate media.
On the subject of terrorism, Mr. Bernie was of the opinion that terrorists are not born but made, and many big countries have a hand in making them. ‘Address the root cause of poverty and deprivation and all forms of terrorism will vanish,” said Mr. Bernie.
