Whether the neighbours are in Birmingham, Leicester or India, try as they might, they cannot drag India into the gutter. Gandhiji ensures it.
As President of the India League (www.theindialeague.org) est 1928, it is my duty and privilege to speak at the Gandhiji memorial statue at the invitation of the High Commission of India. These were my remarks:
As my people say, Jai Shree Ram. Also Salam Alaikum, Deputy Mayor, and Sat Sri Akal.
"Generations to come will scarcely believe that one such as this of flesh and blood ever walked this earth." Those were the words of Albert Einstein.
Consider then that the greatest mind in Western civilization held in awe and wonderment the greatest that my civilization had ever produced, in absolute awe and wonderment.
And let us not also forget, whilst we commemorate Gandhiji and nonviolence, it was thanks to him that British Indian soldiers were released to fight in the Second World War for British independence.
Long before India got her independence, Indian soldiers fought for British independence against German dominance. He had that vision as well.
At this most dangerous time in the world, we have a man whose values transcended countries, religions. At his funeral, it was said that whilst he possessed no great title, he was not a king, he was not an emperor. He did not have any scientific achievement to his name, could not play a musical instrument, had created no great intellectual property, died in poverty. Yet the entire world, from the leader of the USSR to the President of the United States, Kings, Queens, paid tribute to this little brown man in a loin cloth.
Imagine those values transcending every religion, every country, and how we need that now.
That is why we're here to ensure that from the face of this earth, those values shall never be forgotten. That Einstein's challenge will indeed be met. That the world will not be allowed to forget that the principles of nonviolence, the ability to enjoin different communities, that which has become the miracle of India, a country where the head of government can be from a minority faith, which represents just 2% of the population, which can have time and again, heads of state who again come from minority faith.
The West will proclaim its credentials for equality, but it is India, which delivers time and time again, the miracle of the country. It remains probably the last best hope for humanity because it proves through nonviolence you can integrate religions, nationalities, beliefs under one roof.
We will not ever allow to forget the values that Mahatma Gandhi embodies, because if they go from this earth, then generations to come will look back in absolute astonishment that those with the most to lose, did the least to protect those values.
In the long journey that man has had from the swamp to the stars, never have we been more in danger from the scourge of violence that could annihilate our entire civilization, and it will fall from this man of Indian civilization and the values that is bestowed upon all of us to ensure that does not happen.
People of Indian heritage have the most to lose. It is our values. They are global values, and we must ensure they are never, ever forgotten from this earth. Thank you all. Jai Hind.
