Moving in a different circle

I came to Luanda, Angola about a year and a half ago on a single status on a job assignment – for a new professional challenge, to make a little extra income possibly to help our younger daughter in medical school, and for a little adventure in Africa. I have definitely had plenty of challenges – trying to build a strong engineering group for my company, dealing with challenges of an underdeveloped or developing country. Angola is no doubt on a forward journey after 30 years of civil war and with abundant natural resources to be brought out from beneath the ground under the sea.

However, along the way I somehow got connected and pushed into a different circle. Being an American citizen and the head of our Angolan office, I became a regular visitor to the US Embassy. In time, previous US Ambassador to Angola Dan Mozena became a personal friend. Working with the US Embassy and the local public university (University of Agostinho Neto - UAN) I became deeply involved in bringing an English Language Specialist (ELS) in early 2010 and finally resulting in an English Language Fellow (ELF) to arrive in February 2011 for UAN. My employer being a British Company, I also got invited to the British Embassy. I attended the British Business Group (BBG) meetings regularly at the embassy. I received an invitation for a reception in honor of three Members of Parliament from the UK. Both Dan Mozena (US Ambassador) and Richard Wildash (British Ambassador) visited our office. To honor such visitors I had rolled out red carpet. By the same token I received many visitors, country managers or head of certain major oil companies at our office, gave them a tour, and made presentations, which I am sure resulted in receiving requests for proposals for certain projects. I also attended India’s Independence Day celebration on August 15, 2010 as a guest. Then on October 1, 2010 unexpectedly I also received an invitation to attend the 50th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence Day at the Nigerian embassy. There I met many other ambassadors such as the German Ambassador, ambassador of Sweden, in addition to Richard Wildash and the Deputy Chief of Mission for the US Embassy.

So, unbeknown to me I have been moving in a circle that was not my circle previous to this. I had no idea when I took this assignment that running a small engineering company in Luanda, I would be dealing with such diplomats in an alien land. It has been challenging, educational, gratifying; above all I believe I have been able to contribute to Angola’s future, howsoever humble it may be.

Transformation of Mohandas to Mahatma

Born on October 2, 1869, Mohandas K Gandhi was like any other person growing up in a relatively orthodox Hindu family. By all accounts he was not brilliant academically. However, he was fortunate enough to travel to the Queen’s land (the U.K.) some 100+ years ago during the British Raj for higher education, which even today remains an unachievable dream for many young persons from poor families. There Mohandas became a lawyer wearing suit and tie, but keeping the traditional Gujarati turban. Then he moved in search of a livelihood to South Africa where a minority whites ruled a country belonging to majority native blacks.

At the beginning Gandhi gave his opinions in local Indian newspapers. His writing implied superiority of Indian immigrants over the blacks and at the same time showing an inferiority complex towards the white rulers; the same white rulers who were running his country, India. However, he soon experienced discrimination and prejudice first hand. He was kicked out of a first class train compartment reserved for the whites, in spite of having a valid ticket to travel in the 1st class. He was also asked to remove his turban by the judge in a court house. These were the turning points in his life. During his prison term in South Africa he began to realize the age old discrimination against the native blacks. Soon he began to soften his views about the blacks.

His transformation was just beginning. An ordinary Gandhi was on his way to becoming an enlightened person. His evolution was gradual but fast, his denunciation to material world was taking shape, his stand for justice, fairness, and equality was beginning to take a solid footing. Then he returned to his homeland – a homecoming that was strange after so many years. Soon he realized the basic needs for his country folks. He understood the importance of self rule and to get his people out of bondage. But how do you fight the mighty British Empire where sun never set? He found the greatest weapon available to mankind – “Ahimsa” (non-violence). With peaceful, non-violence protest and the mantra of self-reliance for basic needs (salt, cloth, etc), he was able to bring the mighty Raj to its knees. He practiced what he preached. The foreign educated lawyer replaced his suit with loin cloth. He taught the value of homespun cloth to the multitude to be self reliant. He made a symbolic peaceful march to the sea to make salt defying the rule. He was imprisoned time after time. Soon, the country in bondage united as one following the Gandhian principles. Someone addressed him as the Mahatma (the Great Soul); others called him Bapu (Father). In 1947 the rulers went back home and India became independent on August 15 with an unfortunate partition. Soon, the same people forgot Gandhian principles. There was enormous bloodshed and mother India was bleeding giving birth two twins. Some people turned against Gandhi. On January 30, 1948 Mahatma was assassinated. His transformation was complete and he returned home.

The greatest peace lover, peace maker never received a Nobel Peace Prize. There was protest in South Africa when there was talk about installing a statue of Mahatma, because of his earlier opinion in Indian newspapers in South Africa in 1890s. However his legacy lives. Martin Luther King led civil rights movement in America in 1960s following Gandhi’s principle of non-violence and was able to force state and local governments to uphold the constitution for fairness and justice for all. Nelson Mandela spent 26 years in prison in his peaceful movement to end apartheid and restore majority rule in South Africa. Justice prevails if one stands its ground with the ideals of love, peace, and non-violence. The world needs more Gandhi, MLK, and Mandela.