ernie Meyer, better known as the American Gandhi, recently visited Chandigarh for the 8th International Youth Peace Fest. "In 2002, a peace group approached me to portray Gandhi. I had been studying Gandhi for a long time but since that incident, thoughts of Gandhi became inseparable. I have been portraying Gandhi since then and this is my 15th visit to India and the 5th to Chandigarh. People respect Gandhi and they honour me in his name," he toldGuardian20.
Meyer believes studying Gandhi and implementing Gandhi's vision in life are two different things. "When Gandhi existed, non-violence had a different meaning. Today, when I talk about non-violence, it's in the context of nuclear weapons and atomic bombs at their peak. Gandhi's messages are important. Though not always easy to follow though, they are meant to make you strong and happy," Meyer said. Dressed like the Mahatma, Meyer bears a striking resemblance to Gandhi. Meyer too has been jailed several times, most recently in Scotland in May this year while protesting against nuclear weapons at the Trident Submarine Base. Meyer adds, "I believe in Gandhi and that's why portraying him became easy. He believed in change, learning new things and always did what he believed to be true."
He believes in Gandhi's emphasis on taking care of the environment and leading a simple life. Meyer rues, "Industrial society is destroying the air and water. I request people to lead a simple lifestyle so that resources are not exhausted." To spread the message of peace across the nation, Meyer will visit Indore, Aurangabad, Bhopal, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jaipur amongst other places.
From lahore, with love
Members of the delegation from Pakistan
A five-member delegation from Lahore, Pakistan, also visited the peace fest. The representatives included Tanzila Khan, Farhat Raza Khan, Aliya Harir, Mitharam Parmar and Kiran Samuel. Tanzila Khan is an activist and motivational speaker. This is her third visit to India with her mother, Farhat Raza Khan. "Coming to India is always a great experience. One of the reasons for coming is to encourage greater amity between the two countries. This is a great platform for the exchange of ideas for productive activities and to interact with people beyond the boundaries of pre-conceived notions, prejudices and hatred," she said. She grew up watching Bollywood flicks and was always fascinated with Indian cinema. Aliya Harir, another participant from Lahore, says, "Such fests are a perfect podium to build better relationships between the two countries. The sort of love, warmth, care and affection that we get here doesn't make us feel like we are in a foreign country."
Explaining the endeavour Pramod Sharma, Coordinator, Yuvsatta, said, "Next year, we will hold this annual event from 27 September to 2 October and we will try to increase the international participation."
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