American Gandhi in India to spread Gandhian values

By Ashwini Kaushal

Chandigarh, Jan 16 : It's rare that one gets to hear of someone who takes after Mahatama Gandhi not just in attire and mannerism but also in philosophy.

70-year-old Mernie Meyer, who belongs to Olympia in Washington, got his calling in representing the embodiment of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi.

Attired in his trademark khadi attire dhoti, a bamboo stick and his Gandhi-like spectacles, Meyer has an uncanny resemblance to Gandhi.

A peace activist, Meyer, was in Chandigarh to meet youth from various schools and colleges to spread Gandhi's message of non-violence.

Holding degrees in philosophy, history and social change, he has been studying the roots of human violence and also training in adopting non-violence as a credo since the outbreak of the Gulf War.

"I believe in spiritual life that underlies true reality in life. My teachers from the Catholic Christian Tradition say the same thing as Gandhi said. Gandhi lived in the spirit the atma' that we all share. I walk as Gandhi because it's universal," said Meyer.

After serving as a young priest in Ohio, Meyer even went to jail when the then American President, John F. Kennedy, declared a war on poverty and racism.

For him, 9/11 terrorist attacks on America was certain.

"When 9/11 happened I was in New York writing a proposal to organise grass-roots non-violence. I know that people are suffering because of some of the things that US does in different parts of the world and that anger has to come out in some way and it happened. As I said it was terrible, but I kept writing that proposal on non-violence. I didn't stop till I finished it and there after a few months they asked me to portray Gandhi and I am still working on that. I don't know what's going to happen, but I believe we grant less by love.

Since 2002, he has been wearing khadi and spreading Gandhian values and goals by travelling the world over.

ANI