It was early October 2003. For the first time since the war was officially declared by George W. Bush on March 20, 2003, the Iraqi resistance had scored a definitive victory. My partner and I, committed anti-war activists, spontaneously cheered . . .

. . . which lasted for a fraction of a second before I was utterly and thoroughly ashamed to the very core of my being.

What kind of a person rejoices at the results of war? At anyone's violent death?

I had until then felt more of a sympathy for Iraqis, civilians who were dying; men, women and children, who had not signed up to wage war, unlike occupying soldiers who had.

However in that moment of chastising clarity of my soul, I could clearly see, no difference at all. Many soldiers signed up so that they could go to school, or to get out of a cycle of poverty or for a host of myriad other reasons. None of them thought that they were ever likely to go to war. Irrespective of their particular reasons for joining the military, none of them deserved to die.

I was not going to take sides. Not anymore.

The only thing to rejoice about war is the ending of war, all wars.

But the jolt of my guilt shot so deep into my heart, that I was determined to do something, to ‘atone’ it, if you will. Do something to wash myself of my momentary narrowness of mind. I began right then and there, by gently sensitizing my partner to my greater understanding.

To go beyond the twoness of war to the oneness of peace.

It was a start but it was not enough.

“Send A Salami To Your Boy In The Army” came into formation that very day in the shower. There has been no looking back since then. But a whole lot of looking within.

I had just then started the transformation from being ‘anti-war’ to ‘being peace’.

 

Vennila nr Kain is an actor, poet, yogini, performance artist, committed to the Gandhian philosophy of being the change she wants to see in the world. She may be found at www.vennila.net

"Be the change you want to see in the world"

-- Mahatma Gandhi