I don’t know how exactly to articulate what it is like to be staying at Gandhigram, but here are some first thoughts. We are staying in an Ashram started by Ghandian freedom fighters and social justice heroes, Krishnammal (Amma) and Jagannathan (Appa). Appa passed away a few years back, but Amma, at 90 years old, is still active, fiery, and filled with plans and visions. They dedicated their lives to fighting for the rights of the poorest caste of people in India, known as Dalits or Untouchables. They have been imprisoned, gone on hunger strikes, and marched for peace. If you want a short, but truly powerful book to read, The Color of Freedom is an oral-autobiography of their story.
The Ashram, known as the Workers’ Home, is a place of peace and simplicity. It has been a meeting place for revolutionary movements and has welcomed international non-violence leaders like Martin Luther King. Being here, I am surrounded by people who are spiritually guided and take every step with a purpose. We held a meeting here at the Workers’ Home where we welcomed freedom fighters, professors, farmers, NGO leaders, and social workers to come together and discuss how their backgrounds can support each other, and how our project of water filters and training could weave in. I am finding it difficult to explain how it felt to meet so many kindhearted and soulful people. But I know that coming here, slowing down, and seeing the unadvertised and un-glamorous projects growing in so many small towns has inspired and recharged me. I am so thrilled to see people so passionate about their community, not as a charitable cause, but as their life’s work. Even when they are strapped for resources, these people adapt to live on less, so as to never give up the work that fulfills them.
On the left is a photo of everyone we met during the meeting, and on the right is a photo of Amma. She spoke elegantly and passionately to motivate us to hear her message and carry it forward.
