Antiwar poetry book entitled "Planet in Peril: Poet's Lament" for release on 11th Sept.2004

Planet in Peril is the poet’s lament on the frantic stockpiling of nuclear weapons imperilling all life on this planet of ours. Unlike modern day Neros who are seen fluting with sadistic ecstasy when all-engulfing flames are threatening to turn this only habitat of ours into a burning inferno, the poet’s soul weeps in mournful numbers when he reflects over the impending disaster.

The Dr. is just begging to be banned...

By Madan G. Gandhi
President, Gandhi Earth Vision Foundation

Iraq War : Bush's game plan

Bush's avowed objective in invading Iraq was to bring about 'a regime change' in Baghdad and the invasion was termed as a 'preemptive attack' against the rogue state supposedly in possession of weapons of mass destruction. Indeed the real motive was to safeguard the present interest in the entire Middle East and control the oil reserves in the region. It is the new hegemonist face of Bush's political machinery which believes that all those countries which are strategically necessary for world control have to be under their direct dominance and open to investment and appropriation of profits.

In Bush's game plan Middle East, because of its proven oil reserves, is crucial. So is central Asia for its vast potential of untapped oil wealth. With eyes set on economic, military and political control of the entire globe, the Bush's administration is behaving as globe-cop seizing every conceivable opportunity for global domination. It is currently gripped by a paranoid fear of innumerable enemies lurking in the Third World which offers a fertile ground for testing its military prowess and imperialist designs.

Conjuring scenes of looming 'mushroom clouds' by use of nuclear weapons, mouthing warning signals under 'big lie principle', Bush regime today is out to resurrect civilizational clashes in certain select areas of the world. It is not sincere about ending the MAD syndrome and total elimination of all nuclear weapons and other chemical and biological weapons. In dread of the possibility of terrorists and rogue states like Iraq aiding and abetting to deliver WMD to their targets, Bush's political machinery is justifying recourse to war against these states unilaterally on the plea of self defence even if it may mean going against the UN mandate. This way America is out to destroy whatever semblance of multilateral regime remains in the world by its new found doctrine of unilateralism.

Admittedly in terms of weapons of mass destruction arsenal and military capability no country or even coalition of countries can match the US. So in confronting nations like Iraq the double standards of the current bush administration's stand out most starkly. Till date America itself remains the greatest obstacle to total disarmament. Who can deny that WMD is just as much a problem with US and other members of the nuclear club and even threshold states as with Iraq in so far as their destructive consequences are concerned. No distinction can be made in case of 'good WMD's' and 'bad WMD's.' How come they are essential for national security for Americans, British, French, Chinese etc. and taboo for others.

After the Iraq deed is done most perceptive purveyors of the reality on the ground opine that the UN inspection process was just a ruse to gather logistics before launching the military action. For the real goal of the Bush's current establishment was regime change - either by military coup or open invasion and following the fall of Saddam Hussain to gain full control over Iraq's oil. With this single most strategic interest in the Middle East the Bush administration's political machinery considers that once Iraq came under its domination Iran, Syria, Turkey etc. might be the next targets. For in Bush's ground plan any country that comes under or has liaison with what he calls 'axis of evil' and is not promotive of American interests as defined by the Bush administration's political machinery have no right to thrive as a sovereign nation. And if it happens to be a major oil resource it ought to be tamed and made to subserve the latter's hegmonist ambitions. A puppet regime in Iraq and a pliant one in Iran as being under constant threat of surrounding US military bases in Central Asia to the North, Turkey and Iraq to the West, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman to the South and Pakistan and Afghanistan to the East will strategically suit best the Bush administration's policies. It will not only give much greater leverage to Washington in relation to these countries but will also enable it to extend its control over oil pipe-lines from the Arbian Sea in Central Asia through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea.

Besides it will facilitate negotiating of terms favourable to Israeli occupation and dispossession of Palestinians.

With US dominated oil regime in the Gulf and Central Asia, countries like China, India, Europe and Japan will have to increasingly depend on the former for its energy resources. This dominant position in the Gulf region will give a big boost to American economy, and its political and military power.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990's the United States remains the World's sole super power. The decline of Europe and Japan has further bolstered the prospect of a true 'Power Americana' as per Bush administration's global perspective which brooks no peer competitor. Only a US led coalition suits its global hegemonic ambitions. This policy supported by US-centric globalization is clearly designed to maintain and perpetuate its political, economic and military dominance. At the expense both of its potential rivals and the global growth America under adventurest president is radically expanding its control over the world system thereby provoking imperialist rivalries on a global scale. Other capitalist countries that feel threatened by its 'break out strategy' are in the look out of devising ways and means to challenge the US dominated new global order taking shape.

Invasion of Iraq engineered by the Bush regime has provoked universal condemnation. There have been mammoth protest rallies within the United States, Europe, Japan, China and the countries of global South. Bush's new avatar in the form of American unilateralism and its doctrine of preemption have been under fire. The unfolding consequences of this doctrine of aggression are becoming evident with every passing day as more victims are being added to the list. Success of 'Operation Freedom' has further whetted the appetite of the hegemonstists. Verbal threat to Syria, Iran, Turkey and other countries is a new sinister development. Countries which failed to rise up and be counted in denouncing the aggression, they will rue their timidity sooner than later.

The deed has inflicted a lethal glow on the UN. In the whole process the Bush's political regime has emerged as the global bully. The redeeming feature is that a powerful troika of nations-- Russia, German, France-- have stood up shoulder to shoulder to challenge the its hegemonic face. The day is not far of when China, India, Africa and the Arab world will come together to safeguard themselves against this highly unacceptable unilateralism and exploitative globalism. They will rise in revolt against double standards of the Bush's administration in confronting terrorism where it affects them and janus-like looking the other way when it affects other nations, their making loud noises to eliminate weapon of mass destruction of their potential rivals and in the meanwhile continue arming to teeth those who are part and parcel of their own coalition and forging alliances with autocratic regimes in preference to those that are natural votaries of democracy.

The invasion of Iraq by the Bush regime has destroyed not only Iraq's ten millennia old civilization but has also violated, twisted and mutilated the American liberal civilizational dream of its founding fathers. Furthermore it has destroyed the credibility of their mass media and the role models they have been projecting before the world.
Bush's administration's policies are responsible for making America vulnerable and the Deed's Creature whose children may have to bear the brunt of the grievous wrong inflicted on the unarmed Iraqi people and those in Afghanistan. Even in victory is its defeat. Today thanks to Bush administration's wrong policies America stands isolated in the world and has lost much of its moral authority to pontificate on democracy, human rights and terrorism. With new breed of terrorists rising from the ashes of indiscriminate bombing and destruction caused in different parts of the world, it is anybody's guess what will be the future of beleaguered human race with mines planted all over its bosom.

For every Saddam Hussain there is a double lurking some where. Gandhi's dream of non-violent world-order can not fructify unless there is a qualitative transformation of leaders of nations and peoples. Neither Bush nor Saddam can be role models for new world order. To ensure greater accountability and sense of equity and justice people have to rise as one man to fill the vaccum. They have to take command and lead their leaders by the nose string. The peace rallies and mammoth peace marches which have been witnessed in different parts of the world including United States of America following invasion of Iraq is a silver lining in dark horizon. This way is hope............

Here's his profile page. I think he's just one of those who have been consumed by his own intellect.

mggandhi

Since Sep 10, 2004

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Dr. Madan G. Gandhi
Ph.D. (Political Science)

Residence:
H-23/16 DLF Phase-I, Gurgaon-122002. Haryana (India)
Phone : 91-0124-5054392, Mobile: 9413170067

Office:
Editor, Collected Works of Lala Lajpat Rai
2, Lajpat Bhawan, Lajpat Nagar-IV, New Delhi-110 024
Phone : 91-011-26223035, Fax : 91-011-26288102

e-mail address
southasianews@rediffmail.com
http://gevf.exactpages.com

A Visiting Fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge for Lent and Easter terms 1989-90, Dr. Madan G. Gandhi is an outstanding educationist, litterateur and publicist who is in the vanguard of many movements for sustainable environment, total disarmament, human rights and one-world mankind. He has been active in Gandhism-in-action and Sarvodya movement since mid-fifties and worked with notable Gandhians like Vinoba Bhave, Jay Prakash Narayan Kaka Kalelkar, R.R. Diwakar and other prominent leaders of the movement. Impressed by his earnestness and zeal, Achint Ram (father of Krishan Kant, Vice President of India) a great freedom fighter and leader of the Congress and Bhoodaan movement in Punjab, developed a faith in the potential of Gandhi to become a selfless dedicated devotee to the cause. A brief note he wrote to Gandhi from Willingdon Hospital, Delhi, on 1.11.1961, bears testimony to the tremendous confidence that he reposed in the latter. Addressing Gandhi as "My dear hope, " he unreservedly states: "If God takes my body I am confident you will see the mission of Lajpat Rai, Gandhi and Vinoba fulfilled."
Philip Noel Baker, Nobel Peace Laureate came to have a special liking for the young poet - crusader for total nuclear disarmament and world peace. Impressed by Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi's impassioned advocacy of nuclear free, non-violent world order as enshrined in the famous Rajiv Gandhi-Gorbachev Delhi Declaration and his submitting a detailed document on nuclear disarmament before the United Nations, Dr. Madan Gandhi organised a national level seminar on Delhi Declaration in which top social scientists and peace activists from all over the country took part. The proceedings of the seminar were widely circulated and now are being brought out in a book form. Moved by Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi's martyrdom to the cause of peace and harmony in the sub-continent, Professor Madan Gandhi wrote In Memoriam: To Rajiv Gandhi which was considered one of the most moving poems symbolizing personal grief and tragic loss to the family and youthful resurgent India of his dreams. This poem later found a place in 1995 anthology of World Poetry and now is displayed by several websites.
Envisioning One-world Society and Earth Citizenship, Professor Gandhi is associated with many national and international organizations for the promotion of Earth-Consciousness and Global Fraternity. He is a moving, powerful voice in contemporary English Poetry and has a unique place in the world of Mysticism and poetry for peace. A winner of Tagore Award in poetry in 1961, Dr. Gandhi is the Founder-President of the Poetry Society of India. He is the author of twelve volumes of poetry entitled Ashes and Embers, Kundalini, Luteous Serpent, Petals of Flame, Freak Stair, Meandering Maze, Ring of Silence, Shunayata in Trance, Haikus and Quatrains, Enchanting Flute, The Imperiled Earth, Planet in Peril: Poet's Lament. His magnum opus The Imperiled Earth has been reviewed by many leading intellectuals of the World. Khushwant Singh, the veteran journalist and litterateur profusely quotes from the book in his column "This Above All," published in Indian Express and many other national dailies of January 1, 1994. He compliments the poet for making a forceful plea against the impending dangers of nuclear holocaust and environmental degradation and his wanting man to withdraw from the precipice well in time. On Madan Gandhi's Poetry, research leading to Ph.D. is in progress in some Universities. One Ph.D. Thesis ‘EWAFE’ Motif in M.G. Gandhi’s Poetry’ has already been awarded Doctorate and published in book form entitled Poetry of Madan G. Gandhi: A new Metaphysical Voice. In a befitting recognition of his excellence in poetry, World Academy of Arts and Culture conferred, in 1993, the honorary degree of Doctor of Litterateur (Litt.D) upon Gandhi for making a distinguished contribution for promoting world order and international understanding through his writings. Notable among his monographs on political philosophy are Gandhi and Marx, Gandhian Aesthetics, Delhi Declaration on Nuclear Disarmament, Pre-Marxian Socialism, Marx to Mao, Contemporary Socialism, Modern Political Theory, Modern Political Analysis and Dialogue Among Civilizations (edited).
Dr. Madan Gandhi has been a recipient of numerous awards and honours. A few of them are : International Man of the Year (1991-92) and (1992-93), Most Admired Man of the Decade, World Intellectual (1993) Five hundred Great Personalities of the World, One-in-Million Honour, included in International Who’s Who of Poets & Who’s Who of Intellectuals, Member of the Board of Advisors of International Centre of Democracy, Maryland, USA, National Excellence Award for contribution in the field of Education and Literature by the United Citizens Council, New Delhi, nominated for Rajiv Gandhi Award for outstanding contribution to education and literature by All India Feroze Gandhi Memorial Society.
As a painter, too, Madan Gandhi has secured a niche for himself in the assessment of art critics. Writing upon Gandhi the painter, Bharat Bhushan perceptively underlines the moving force behind his art: "His imagery and symbolism are surrealistic and emanate from the depths of his inner skyscape." The first exhibition of his paintings was held at All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society's Art Gallery in Delhi from 11th to 17th December 1989. In it were displayed thirty-five oil colour works of the artist. The comments upon them, recorded in the Visitor's Book, display a wide variety of responses, most of them encomiums from connoisseurs of art. The perceptive eye of B.Sen discovered that "Some works have touch of Tagore's style." Similarly, M.K. Jaiswal found in them: "An artist's search for Cosmic Meaning." The second exhibition of his pieces was organised at UNICEF Art Window, Cambridge in March 1990 and the third at the Gallery of Cam, Cambridge in July of the same year. There, too, his paintings were widely appreciated for the depth of meaning they seek to communicate.
Born on 31st August 1940 in Lahore, Madan Gopal Gandhi did his B.A. with Honours in English from D.A.V. College, Ambala City in 1960 and M.A. in Political Science from Punjabi University, Patiala in 1966 and M.A. in English 1964 and Ph.D. in Political Science from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1974. As a student Madan Gandhi distinguished himself as a powerful orator in English, Hindi and Punjabi. At the Punjab University he outshone his peers and won the first prize in the extempore oration contest. Since his Post graduation in 1964, he has been associated with teaching and research at the university level and conducted and guided research in International Politics, Nation Building, Electoral cum Administrative Reforms and Good Governance, Rural-Urban Development And Design of Living in The Future, Gandhism, Sarvodaya and Panchayati Raj, Human Rights and Social and Political Movements in Third World. Dr. Gandhi provided the introductory paper to the project on the writing of the history of Congress in Haryana. Two of his students did research on the Congress Party for their doctorate and one on Rajiv Gandhi for his M.Phil. Under his guidance more than 60 students got their M.Phil and 16 students their Ph.D.
Another aspect of Madan Gandhi's personality is revealed through his close association with the cultural, literary and social service organizations. In 1962, he founded Chandigarh Cultural Association that organised many variety entertainment programmes and produced many plays and the entire money earned by it, through the sale of tickets for its programmes, was contributed to the National Defence Fund. Gandhi, at this stage of his life, wrote many group songs and quwaalis. Presented at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh, they were highly appreciated by the audience. In 1963, he founded Vikas Bharti with Krishan Kant as its President and Lal Bahadur Shastri as its patron. Primarily through his commitment and dedication to the cause, it soon became an active instrument of selfless service to the poor and weaker sections of the society. He founded Kavita Bharti with Hazari Prasad Diwedi, an eminent Hindi writer as its President and also Poetry Society of India. He was also the Secretary of Bharat Yuvak Samaj (with Jawaharlal Nehru as the President) Punjab Pradesh. He extensively toured the country disseminating Gandhian values and Gandhian way of life and promoting the cause of national integration, communal harmony and the emancipation of the poor and the down trodden. During this period he was also associated with Sarvodaya Workers' Home as a founder member with Gopichand Bhargava (first Chief Minister of Punjab) as the moving spirit behind it.
Ever since the founding of Centre for Third World Studies and Research in 1983 with Professor Madan Gandhi as the Founder Director at Maharishi Dayanand University he has been initiating several activities and programmes promotive of understanding, friendship and co-operation with Third World Countries with focus on South-South Co-operation and conflict resolution in regard to their crisis areas. He had been actively associated with anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and he actively participated in the international seminar Youth Against Apartheid which was attended by several top ranking African National Congress Leaders which was a front line organization fighting against apartheid in South Africa. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was the moving spirit behind the seminar. He also guided students for their Ph.D. on different dimensions of the problem of apartheid, the most inhuman vestige of racialism and colonialism.
Taking inspiration from Vinoba Bhave's ABC triangle denoting the South Asian Sub-continent Madan Gandhi took upon himself the mission of promoting people-to-people relationship among the countries of South Asia firmly believing that this is the surest way to forge the fraternal bond that shall hold in the direst of times and put an end to the clanging strife among races, religions and nations. He saw in people-to-people relationship as the most effective way to reach out beyond state and sectarian wrangles and to usher in an era of all-round peace and prosperity in the region. As editor of the South Asia News Letter Madan G. Gandhi has been carrying aloft the torch of friendship and reconciliation among India and Pakistan and other SAARC countries even during the darkest and most difficult times making the journal the tribune of South Asian People, of their problems and concerns and a powerful instrument to keep vigil on peoples’ civil liberties and developments in the sub-continent having adverse impact on South Asian Destiny. The South Asia News Letter has striven hard to convert confrontation to cooperation, verbal wrangles to dialogue, contention to conciliation, sectarian clashes to harmonic co-existence, fratricidal strife to fraternal harmony.
To promote communal peace and national integration professor Madan Gandhi also collaborated with Baba Amte in the Bharat Jodo campaign and keeping in view the circumstances prevailing in Punjab, he went about propagating the message of amity and communal peace among the youth bringing home the fundamental unity of all religions. In this connection he organized several discussions, seminars, workshops, guest lectures etc. During the worst phase of terrorism he alongwith Baba Amte and Krishan Kant visited the refugee camps at various places and strove for strengthening the age-old bonds of fraternity and fellow feelings among the people who had become the victims of senseless killings at the hands of the bigoted and misguided among their brethren .
Since the 1960's professor Gandhi had been advocating fundamental electoral reforms, reshaping of the electoral process and restructuring of the Indian Polity. When Guljari Lal Nanda and Bhim Sen Sachhar started the Sadachar Samiti to launch a movement for the values of probity in public life and the havoc the use of black money was inflicting on elections and our political system, he joined the movement with his heart and soul. He was one of the first to mobilize public opinion against criminalization of politics and politicization of criminals. In this connection he gave several lectures in different parts of the country and assisted Krishan Kant to organize an all India seminar enlisting the support of a large number intelligentsia and public men cutting across party lines. The preparations of the documents on the nexus between criminals and politicians and related matters were the outcome of a thoroughgoing exercise involving consultations with wide spectrum of social activists.
Dr. Gandhi has been Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Dean of Education, Professor and Head Deptt. of Political Science, Professor-Director Centre for Third World Studies and Research, and Professor Director, Directorate of Distance Education Maharashi Dayanand University, Rohtak. In recognition of his contribution to social science research and philosophical systems he was nominated as member of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research and Indian Council of Social Sciences Research - the apex research organizations in the field of Philosophy and Social Sciences. He was appointed One-Man Commission to review the legal administrative structure of the research institutes funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research. Dr. Gandhi also served as Director Ware Housing Corporation, Haryana and was instrumental in introducing significant reforms in the corporation.
Professor Madan G. Gandhi has been a member of the Academic bodies of Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, Punjab University, Chandigarh, Gandhi Gram University, Dindigal, H.P. University, Simla etc. He is Chancellor’s Nominee to the Executive Council of Delhi University, Chancellor’s Nominee on the Selection Committees of Kurukshetra University, Member of Senate of Punjab University, Member, Governing Body of University College of Medical Sciences & G.T.B. Hospital, University of Delhi, Member, Governing Body of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi.
At present Madan Gandhi is Editor, Earth Vision, a quarterly Journal of Gandhi Earth Vision Foundation, Editor, South Asia News Letter, and Editor, Collected Works of Lala Lajpat Rai - a Government of India funded research project under Servants of the People Society, founded by Lala Lajpat Rai.

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