I didn’t expect too many similarities in the American
Midwest, with things Indian.
Funnily, the first likeness I observed was a tenuous
similarity with the cities of black diamonds and the coal belt in India with a
violent history and its attendant depravities.
I was quaintly surprised to find that the name Ohio is
derived from the 'Iroquois Indian' word for Good River. But they are what we
would back home call American Indians.
That’s pretty much the Indian connection, apart of course
from its history 2000 years back.
Nestled in the centre of Ohio in the picturesque Tuscarawas
county is Sugarcreek - a village which is perhaps more European than anything
else. The inhabitants, about 652 families are all white.
Mostly reclusive, the inhabitants, celebrated worldwide as
the Amish people are remarkable in many ways. So remarkable, that they have
become a tourist attraction. In the process, making the Sugarcreek neighborhood one of the more
prosperous regions in Ohio.
The Amish live a Spartan life, shun all modern amenities, do
not use electricity in their homes, and don’t possess cell phones. Live in
frugal houses with just the basic necessities.
They don’t even use cars. Running water is not for them,
unless of course they run to fetch it. They stich the clothes they wear. All
the food they grow on their farms is organic. The natural resources they use
are limited to their needs.
They even have a system of community reconciliation, the elders
of the village have a greater say in the affairs of the community. The young in
the community are taught the values of abstinence and morality. The Amish do
not drink alcohol.
They are sworn to Non Violence. And celebrate their oneness
with nature.
They are extremely religious too. The horse-drawn buggy is almost a mascot for
the Amish. Marital fidelity is the norm in the Amish country.
To billions of Mahatma Gandhi’s admirers – which would
include Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and the US President Barrack Obama,
the life that the Amish live is as Gandhian as it gets.
Interestingly the Amish people, I spoke to, including the
highly knowledgeable Lester Beachy had not even heard of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi lived a life of extreme abstinence. He
advocated village self-governance, along with equality and brotherhood.
He shunned all modern amenities and would weave the clothes
he wore. He advocated a ban on alcohol.
For him religion was a means for spiritual growth. Being one
with the nature and using non-violent means to resolve conflict was his message
to humanity.
Albert Einstein said of Gandhi: "Generations to come,
it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh
and blood walked upon this Earth.
Gandhi himself would have loved the Amish lifestyle – which
so much reflects his philosophy that has guided generations of world leaders.
I was happy to rediscover Gandhi eight thousand miles away
from home.
No comments:
Post a Comment