Gandhian values resonate in distant Brazil

What would have Gandhi thought of Brazil? This is the thought that kept circling in my head at a recent event as Brazilians, young and old, many foreigners, and some Indians came together in the capital, Brasilia.

The occasion was the launch of the Portuguese edition of ambassador Pascal Allan Nazareth’s book on ‘Gandhi’s extraordinary leadership.’ Nazareth, a former ambassador to many countries now lives in Bangalore and is the managing trustee of the Sarvodaya international movement.

That his book available in many languages, Indian and foreign, was coming out in Brazil in Portuguese was itself significant, showing the universal interest in Gandhian thought, and more so with regard to its cotemporary relevance, as that is the focus of the book. The fact that a popular movement associated with the Catholic Church was responsible for the publication was another welcome feature.

Unlike many other countries in the world, there is no historical connection between Gandhi and Brazil. Brazil was a colony of Portugal only in a technical sense and as a matter of fact the Brazilians do not talk of anti-colonial struggle or liberation for independence, the way we do. This is so because in an  ironical twist of history, the Portuguese royal family had to flee from Europe to Brazil in 1808 when Napoleon was conquering their region.

Thus the city of Rio in the ‘colony’ became the seat of the ‘Empire’ with some members of  the royal family coming to love the sunny and verdant Brazil more than their own country. Brazil attained independence peacefully in 1822, a completely different trajectory from that of  the Indian colonial experience, countered by the Mahatma. In the 20th century, Goa muddied the relations between India and Brazil to some extent in the sixties.  
Inspiring awe and admiration

Gandhi himself had a very clear position that the Portuguese rule over Goa was immoral and unsustainable being against the principles of self-rule or swaraj and therefore would have supported Goa’s integration with India, had he been alive. At that time, Brazil supported the colonial power i.e. Portugual, but the differences between Indian and Brazil did not last long. Despite the geographical and psychological distance, Gandhi has always been a figure inspiring awe, admiration and affection here. Why?

Nazareth’s book is all about how Gandhi’s message is simple, and yet universal and eternal. It is full of examples of how the Gandhian leadership legacy has led to freedom and dignity in so many parts of the world. In an important passage Nazareth speaks of the rise of Obama to the top job in a nation that had practiced slavery, the abolition of apartheid, the coming down of the Berlin wall, the emancipation of countries in eastern Europe,  the  fall of dictators from Pinochet to Mushraff, the tide of Arab spring -- all these as examples validating Gandhi’s  belief in human freedom and dignity.

Brazil has not had a revolution in its history, nor political violence on a massive scale despite a period of military dictatorship, but all the symbols and values represented in these examples are dear to its people.

Looking at the serene or smiling faces of young Brazilians as they listened attentively to the author, I began to think of some of the prominent features of their society and polity which would have got the nod from the Mahatma.

First, the commitment to the  peaceful resolution of disputes or conflicts, an article of faith for Brazilian diplomacy.  Disputes are an inescapable part of human and State relations.
Brazil has as many as nine neighbours with whom it shares territory, or rivers, or resources or the amazing Amazon and hence it is inevitable that there are differences.

Yet there are no territorial disputes and the borders are tranquil. Some of it is statesmanship in the past century; some of it is a policy of ‘persuasion’ in the present. The point here is not that Brazil has consciously followed Gandhian ideals; it is more that the approach that it practices would  have appealed to Gandhi.

If this aspect is political, the next, the emphasis on helping the most  disadvantaged and vulnerable, is a social policy that Gandhi would have liked. Brazil is almost a case study of success in poverty reduction and direct targeted help to the most needy, the poorest,  the handicapped,  the elderly and the children. Nazareth’s book rightly recognises and applauds former President Lula for his policies of social and economic inclusion.

Another of Gandhi’s interests, much ahead of his time, is the importance of ‘sustainable development’, a buzz word today.  Brazil was the host of the 1992 conference on environment which brought the subject on to the international agenda and it is now once again the host of the UN Conference in June called ‘Rio+ 20’ to debate the issue of  what the planet can truly sustain. That apart, the number of environmental activists, enthusiasts and NGOs is staggering and makes Brazil a key player in issues relating to a ‘Global commons’.

It is no wonder then that despite the lack of a historical or real connection, Gandhi’s message resonates in Brazil. It is a tribute to the foresight and the breadth of vision of Gandhi; it is also a pointer to the liberal and enlightened attitudes of large sections in Brazil.

(The writer is the Indian Ambassador in Brazil)