waylaid by security. After paying their respects to the governor, a large crowd formed around Sam and Dinesh taking pictures and shouting greetings.
The reason we were at the Ashram on this auspicious day, and the reason Sam had brought me to India, was to attend a workshop entitled “Gandhi, Dialogue on Violence. ” Sam had called me late in the evening two months prior, sounding agitated and distraught. He talked to me about the latest spate of bombings by terrorists, about attack by states on their people, about the violence of people against each other. “We must do something,” he said. He had decided to organize this workshop at the Ashram and wanted to know if I would come to India with him.
Sam explained he wanted this to be more than simple talking, more than the usual bemoaning the state of our world. He wanted this workshop to be the beginning of a movement for peace, a movement that used the techniques and teachings of Gandhi to do something about what was so wrong with our modern world.
When Sam asks me to do something, I, of course, say yes. The next day, Sam started making calls to the Ashram to see if they would host us and to others asking them if they would join us. I started working on my visa application.
…
While Sam and Dinesh greeted their throngs of admirers, I looked around at the scene. The Ashram was full with hundreds of schoolchildren gathered in groups walking around the buildings. Musicians were set up outside one of the buildings, playing traditional bhajans (prayer songs), especially those that Gandhi-ji was known to favor. Students were sitting on the ground spinning thread. A huge group of visitors were gathered outside of Gandhi’s residence to pay homage.
While I was standing there, a tall young man in a red shirt approached me and introduced himself. This was Srinivas Kodali, whom I had never met in person but had been working closely with over the net for several years. Srinivas is a young transportation engineer who had joined me as a co-plaintiff in suing the government of India. I welcomed him warmly, and warned him to stay close to me so he wouldn’t get lost.
Sam extricated himself from the crowd, grabbed Dinesh by the elbow and shouted to me “Let’s Go!” With Srinivas Kodali in tow, we headed across the
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