Original Source: http://www.1000peacewomen.org/eng/friedensfrauen_biographien_gefunden.php?WomenID=1297
Researcher- Hansa Rochlani
Nirmala is a pioneer of peace work, especially
in terms of mobilizing women and girls to engage in establishing
pacifism-and the subcontinent is the net gainer.
Dr. Nirmala Deshpande (born on 17 October 1929) is the quiet,
reflective face of Gandhianism in a world torn asunder by strife and
communal and racial hatred. To the many people whose lives she’s
touched, Nirmala is known as just didi (elder sister).
She was born to P Y Deshpande and Vimlabhai Deshpande in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Her father, a Member of Parliament, brought her up in an open and free environment, encouraging her to take up higher studies. Nirmala did her Masters in political science, and then worked as a lecturer at Morris College, Nagpur.
In 1952, Nirmala joined Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan Yatra, walking more than 25,000 miles. The movement, which propagated the ideal of a nonviolent revolution, involved activists going to different parts of India asking for gifts of land, which were then distributed to landless agricultural laborers. Landholders, big and small, gave more than four million acres to the movement. This selflessness, one of the shining victories of Gandhian ideology, is enshrined in the Akhil Bharat Rachanatmak Samaj (ABRS), which Nirmala founded. The Samaj has thousands of dedicated social activists committed to peace and nonviolence working in various states under Nirmala’s leadership.
She is also a pioneer of peace work, especially in terms of mobilizing women and girls to engage in establishing a workable pacifism. In militancy-ridden Punjab in the 1980s, she organized massive peace marches. Peace activists from all over India spread out to every nook and corner of Punjab. Crossing dangerous terrain, Nirmala would travel alone in a jeep all over the state.
During the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Nirmala enlisted a few outsiders and many local friends to slog continuously towards peace and communal harmony. When she appealed for the discarding of guns and the adoption of peaceful means, many young men and women, from all communities, joined her movement.
Over the past two decades, communal conflicts and the spread of communal hatred has become ruthlessly rampant, causing the ABRS organized interfaith prayers, meets, and conferences. Nirmala was also active in the aftermath of the Gujarat carnage: among other things, she organized continuous protest marches in Delhi. Then, she and some friends set up forums to fight communalism and help the embattled secular forces--the Sanjhi Virasat (a forum of writers and artistes); the Adhyatma Jagaran Manch (with Swami Agnivesh and Rev Walson Thampu to use spirituality to counter the misuse of religion); and the Peoples Integration Council (to mobilize all sections of society for national integration and communal harmony).
Both the ABRS and the Association of Peoples of Asia have been working to bring rapprochement between India and Pakistan. Nirmala organized the Indo-Pak Amity Meet in Delhi in 1996, which was attended by academics, artists, social activists, and journalists from both nations; she led the Indian delegation to Karachi in 1997 for a similar meet. In 1999, she again led the Indian delegation to the Pakistan Peace Conference, organized by the Pakistan Peace Coalition. In 2000, she led a women’s Bus for Peace from Delhi to Lahore. As founder-chairperson of the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia, she also organized a similar women’s Bus for Peace from Lahore back to Delhi.
Her Indo-Pak Soldiers’ Initiative for Peace in India, and its counterpart in Pakistan, is a strangely emotive initiative. When she led a delegation of the India chapter of the organization to Pakistan in 2001, those who had pitted themselves against each other in three wars embraced and pledged to work for peace. It is not a sight that can leave any eyes dry on the subcontinent.
Nirmala has also worked for the cause of Tibet through friendship associations, led a satyagraha on the Indo-Tibet border in 1997, and organized and participated in conferences, marches, and seminars. She associates closely with the Dalai Lama. She is also helping Myanmarese refugees, and several people close to Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. She has also attended the Global Assembly of the United Religions Initiative 2002 at Rio de Janeiro as an Indian delegate, and spoke on Gandhi.
At the end, Gandhi’s vision is what her life boils down to.
She was born to P Y Deshpande and Vimlabhai Deshpande in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Her father, a Member of Parliament, brought her up in an open and free environment, encouraging her to take up higher studies. Nirmala did her Masters in political science, and then worked as a lecturer at Morris College, Nagpur.
In 1952, Nirmala joined Vinoba Bhave’s Bhoodan Yatra, walking more than 25,000 miles. The movement, which propagated the ideal of a nonviolent revolution, involved activists going to different parts of India asking for gifts of land, which were then distributed to landless agricultural laborers. Landholders, big and small, gave more than four million acres to the movement. This selflessness, one of the shining victories of Gandhian ideology, is enshrined in the Akhil Bharat Rachanatmak Samaj (ABRS), which Nirmala founded. The Samaj has thousands of dedicated social activists committed to peace and nonviolence working in various states under Nirmala’s leadership.
She is also a pioneer of peace work, especially in terms of mobilizing women and girls to engage in establishing a workable pacifism. In militancy-ridden Punjab in the 1980s, she organized massive peace marches. Peace activists from all over India spread out to every nook and corner of Punjab. Crossing dangerous terrain, Nirmala would travel alone in a jeep all over the state.
During the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Nirmala enlisted a few outsiders and many local friends to slog continuously towards peace and communal harmony. When she appealed for the discarding of guns and the adoption of peaceful means, many young men and women, from all communities, joined her movement.
Over the past two decades, communal conflicts and the spread of communal hatred has become ruthlessly rampant, causing the ABRS organized interfaith prayers, meets, and conferences. Nirmala was also active in the aftermath of the Gujarat carnage: among other things, she organized continuous protest marches in Delhi. Then, she and some friends set up forums to fight communalism and help the embattled secular forces--the Sanjhi Virasat (a forum of writers and artistes); the Adhyatma Jagaran Manch (with Swami Agnivesh and Rev Walson Thampu to use spirituality to counter the misuse of religion); and the Peoples Integration Council (to mobilize all sections of society for national integration and communal harmony).
Both the ABRS and the Association of Peoples of Asia have been working to bring rapprochement between India and Pakistan. Nirmala organized the Indo-Pak Amity Meet in Delhi in 1996, which was attended by academics, artists, social activists, and journalists from both nations; she led the Indian delegation to Karachi in 1997 for a similar meet. In 1999, she again led the Indian delegation to the Pakistan Peace Conference, organized by the Pakistan Peace Coalition. In 2000, she led a women’s Bus for Peace from Delhi to Lahore. As founder-chairperson of the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia, she also organized a similar women’s Bus for Peace from Lahore back to Delhi.
Her Indo-Pak Soldiers’ Initiative for Peace in India, and its counterpart in Pakistan, is a strangely emotive initiative. When she led a delegation of the India chapter of the organization to Pakistan in 2001, those who had pitted themselves against each other in three wars embraced and pledged to work for peace. It is not a sight that can leave any eyes dry on the subcontinent.
Nirmala has also worked for the cause of Tibet through friendship associations, led a satyagraha on the Indo-Tibet border in 1997, and organized and participated in conferences, marches, and seminars. She associates closely with the Dalai Lama. She is also helping Myanmarese refugees, and several people close to Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. She has also attended the Global Assembly of the United Religions Initiative 2002 at Rio de Janeiro as an Indian delegate, and spoke on Gandhi.
At the end, Gandhi’s vision is what her life boils down to.
Nirmala Deshpande is the
quiet face of Gandhianism in a world bloodied by strife and communal
hatred. To the many people whose lives she has touched, Nirmala is known
as didi (elder sister). Steadfast in her belief in Gandhianism, Nirmala
joined the Bhoodan Yatra in 1952, walking more than 25,000 miles asking
for gifts of land to distribute to landless peasants. To enshrine the
spirit of the movement, she set up the Akhil Bharat Rachanatmak Samaj,
which has thousands of dedicated activists committed to peace and
nonviolence.
Nirmala is a pioneer of peace work, especially in terms of mobilizing women and girls to engage in establishing pacifism. Her mass mobilizations in Punjab during the 1980s, and in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir, are indicators. During the 2002 Gujarat riots, Nirmala and some friends formed various forums to fight communalism and help secular forces-the Sanjhi Virasat (a forum of writers and artists); the Adhyatma Jagaran Manch (with Swami Agnivesh and Reverend Valson Thampu, the collective voice of the opressed and the poor in India, to use spirituality to counter the misuse of religion); and the Peoples' Integration Council (to mobilize all sections of society for national integration and communal harmony).
Nirmala has also been active in Track II initiatives to bring peace with Pakistan. She organized the Indo-Pak Amity Meet in Delhi in 1996, and a women's bus for peace from Delhi to Lahore. She also founded the Women's Initiative for Peace in South Asia. Her Indo-Pak Soldiers' Initiative for Peace in India, and its counterpart in Pakistan, is a strangely emotive initiative-those who fought each other in three wars were embracing one another and pledging to work for peace. It is not a sight that can leave any eyes dry on the subcontinent.
Nirmala is a pioneer of peace work, especially in terms of mobilizing women and girls to engage in establishing pacifism. Her mass mobilizations in Punjab during the 1980s, and in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir, are indicators. During the 2002 Gujarat riots, Nirmala and some friends formed various forums to fight communalism and help secular forces-the Sanjhi Virasat (a forum of writers and artists); the Adhyatma Jagaran Manch (with Swami Agnivesh and Reverend Valson Thampu, the collective voice of the opressed and the poor in India, to use spirituality to counter the misuse of religion); and the Peoples' Integration Council (to mobilize all sections of society for national integration and communal harmony).
Nirmala has also been active in Track II initiatives to bring peace with Pakistan. She organized the Indo-Pak Amity Meet in Delhi in 1996, and a women's bus for peace from Delhi to Lahore. She also founded the Women's Initiative for Peace in South Asia. Her Indo-Pak Soldiers' Initiative for Peace in India, and its counterpart in Pakistan, is a strangely emotive initiative-those who fought each other in three wars were embracing one another and pledging to work for peace. It is not a sight that can leave any eyes dry on the subcontinent.
During the course of
India's struggle for freedom, Gandhi had propagated his unique concept
of a "peaceful revolution". He also advocated the participation of women
in social and political life. Part of that message has come down the
dusty road of history along with his women followers.
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