King Gandhi Wall By BIRAD RAJARAM YAJNIK
An interactive installation on M K Gandhi and his influence on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Location: Howard University, Washington DC, USA,
Over a 100 years ago (7th June 1893) at a small railway station in South Africa, a simple man the world calls Mahatma Gandhi was racially discriminated for the color of his skin. He spent that night in anger and introspection to create the most powerful weapon known to mankind – SATYAGRAHA (Truth Force). His philosophy of Peace, Truth and Ahimsa (Non-Violence) inspired Dr King to adapt it for the Civil Rights movement in the United States of America.
My inspiration to create an interactive image wall in honor of these two great leaders can be attributed to two statements: one by Dr Martin Luther King during his 1959 visit to India – “To other countries I may go as a tourist, but to India I come as a pilgrim”; and the other, “People who see the invisible can achieve the impossible.” Dr King had the ability to see the invisible. He never had the opportunity to meet Gandhi, but the inspiration he drew from the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and adapted it for his people is a mark of greatness.
It is an honor to install this interactive KING – GANDHI wall at the Howard University in Washington. Students and visitors to this prestigious institution would have the ability to interact with images, QR codes on the wall via their mobile phones, tablets and smart devices to experience sights and sounds from the past. I hope this interaction empowers them with the ability to see the Invisible and aspiration to become the next King and Gandhi. The world today, needs them.
Two years ago the Tourism department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh provided us with an opportunity to cause change at a historic location in Hyderabad. Ashes (asthi) of the simple man, the world calls Mahatma were immersed here on the 12th of February 1948. ….
730 days later we present some photographs from our first step. The Peace Truth Ahimsa Museum at Bapu Ghat, Langar house in Hyderabad has successfully imparted over 30,000 hours of Gandhian inspired education.
I would
like to thank every person who has supported us on this journey of change - The
Tourism Department and the Government of AP, Principals & Teachers of
schools and colleges in the city of Hyderabad, all the support staff, volunteers
and instructors at the museum, finally all the students who have invested hours
of integration and allowed us to learn more than just teach.
Birad Rajaram Yajnik
Photo: From the movie Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) leads his first protest march (Natal - Transval march ) of striking Indian miners in South Africa.
In 1913, a tax had been imposed on all former indentured labourers, known as the Indian Relief Bill. In protest of this, Gandhi launched a passive resistance campaign, gaining the support of thousands of mine workers. While leading a march on 6 November 1913, which included 127 women, 57 children and 2037 men, Gandhi was arrested. He was released on bail, rejoined the march and was re-arrested. The Indian Relief Bill was finally scrapped.
In a few weeks it will be 100 years from that faithful day in South Africa, WHEN A SIMPLE MAN, THE WORLD CALLS MAHATMA CHANGED THE COURSE OF HUMANITY.
Joseph Deiss, President of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, holds up a limited edition copy of “MKG – Mahatma Gandhi – Imaging Peace, Truth & Ahisma” at an event commemorating the International Day of Non-Violence. The day is observed 2 October for the birthday of non-violence pioneer Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi). Pictured with Mr. Deiss are Hardeep Singh Puri (left), Permanent Representative of India to the UN, and Birad Rajaram Yajnik, the book's author.
01 October 2010 United Nations, New York
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