LET PEOPLE OF VENEZEULA EMULATE MAHATMA GANDHI’S PEACEFUL PROTEST – By N.S.Venkataraman
History will record U S President Trump’s move to invade Venezeula and arrest its President and his wife and forcibly taking them to U S to face trial in a U S court , as one of the worst decisions of U S Presidents in U S history. This is a fatal error that would seriously damage the reputation of U S in the eyes of the world and it would take very long time for future US Presidents to undo the disrespute brought out by President Trump
Historians and discerning observers would see this move of U S President , as similar to the decision of China to invade helpless Tibet in 1950s and take over the country. China said that it was justified in doing so , as it claimed that Tibet was part of China. Now, Trump has justified his move to invade Venezeula as according to him, Venezeula government is involved in drug trafficking. The excuses offered by both China and U S are false and are only a façade to conceal their real motive and intentions . While China wanted Tibet territory due to its natural and mineral resources, U S wants Venezeula territory due to its very high oil reserves. Trump has now claimed that he would control Venezeula and its oil reserves.
While public opinion in the world think that Trump’s aggressive posture against Venezeula is against international practices of law, immoral and unethical, some governments would support Trump’s move due to geo political reasons. As in the case of China occupying Tibet, in all probability, Trump will have his way and bring Venezeula under his thumb.
Now, what is the option left for people of Venezeula , who must be very angry , frustrated and insulted by President Trump? Whatever may be the view of Trump about President of Venbezeula , it is for the people of Venezeula to have him as President or not.
Certainly, a movement will start in Venezeula to liberate the country from U S control , though the world and sympathisers, by and large, will remain only as observers. Therefore, the people of Venezeula have to fight their own battle like the people of Tibet who had to struggle against Chinese aggression based on their own efforts.
Compared to Venezeula , U S is a very large country and with very high military capability. In case of people of Venezeula indulging in guerrilla type war against U S aggression within Venezeula, President Trump would use heavy force to suppress the movement, unmindful of the criticisms from all round.
Obviously, the option left for people of Venezeula is to start and sustain a massive peaceful movement against U S occupation, similar to peaceful agitation India successfully launched against the British rule under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. This Satyagraha ( Satyagraha translates from Sanskrit as “holding firmly to truth” or “insistence on truth,”) This satyagraha movement was such a powerful moral force that the then British government could not resist and then had to leave the country.
All said and done, in spite of President Trump’s unethical act against Venezeula , people of USA are wedded to democratic principles and freedom of speech. Many U S citizens have already questioned Trump’s act of aggression and have condemned him in unequivocal terms.
A peaceful agitation based on Mahatma Gandhi’s principles launched in Venezeula would bring enormous pressure on President Trump and his administration, not only from across the world but from U S citizens themselves.
Certainly, President Trump has erred with serious consequences for the pattern of inter country relationship in the world and has brought dis respute to US. His move has to be resisted and resistance should start from people of Venezeula by launching unarmed peaceful agitation, that would shake the world conscience and conscience of U S citizens too.
