Reading the American History

In 1964, the USA had invaded Vietnam. Coming from a Freedom Fighters family in India, naturally I sympathized with the struggle of Vietnamese people. I was in touch with a radical (leftist) thinker Sartre of France who, in protest, refused to lecture in an American university. But I had just joined the university and could not resign and leave. I decided to sty in the U.S. but participate in anti-war movement. Organizing pen discussions on the war, I offered academic courses on Asian History. In the course I discussed colonial experience of Asian people and how the Gandhian non-violent struggle was carried out against the British and French colonizers in Asia.

American students learnt, for the first time, about Indian struggle and became familiar with the political philosophy of Marxian Socialism and the idea of satyagraha, non-violent struggle for social justice. My students formed an activists’ group SDS (Students for Democratic Society). The SDS used to organize public discussions on issues of civil rights and the Vietnam War.

Once in a well publicized meeting I was to speak with a Professor of American History who was also Dean of School of Social Sciences. He spoke about the spread of international communism, and explained his political theory of “the falling dominoes”. That after Russia, China and Korea had fallen to International Communism, now it was Vietnam, and then entire Asia and the Pacific. Thereafter the Communism would attack the United States of America. “We must defend Freedom and Liberty of the poor people of Asia.”

The History Professor also claimed that “America never first attacked any country. The US forces entered the World War (1940-45), only after the Japanese had attacked the Pearl Harbour. The US helped defend freedom of helpless people. So is now in Vietnam. American young men had gone to help the Vietnamese people against the communist invaders …”.

As my name was announced, the History Professor got up to leave. I protested:
“Mr. Dean, you presented an interpretation of history but have ignored many important facts that lead to entirely opposite conclusions. I propose to present the other side of the history. Since I have listened to you, academic decency demands that you stay on and listen to my presentation…”
Entire hall burst chanting “ dean don’t go, dean don’t go…” And the dean stayed on through my lecture.

I started : “ Sisters and Brothers of America, ..” the audience clapped with such a friendly opening address. And I continued:

“American history is full of glorious wars fought for liberty and freedom.

Independence of the United States of America was rooted in the Revolutionary overthrow of the British rule. But you also inherited the European legacy of expansion and colonization of weaker nations –offering “Christian salvation” and political Liberation. My Historian Dean would confirm that in 1776, you were a Republic of 13 states. Today, you are 51 states. How did you do it? More than 120 broken treaties and military actions. In 1944, when Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour, that was not the US territory but an American colony. In 1898, there was no Communism and no Dominoes falling, when the US attacked Hawaii and the Phillipines. And Commader Perry attacked Japan and China in 1853. …” I continued.

I turned to the American professor and asked:

“ Please, give me a single incident in your history when the US had fired a single shot in defence of Freedom of any non-white Asian or African country.”

Some students from the audience shouted: “Tell the truth. Speak up Mr. Dean.

Following this confrontation I received many invitations to speak on the issue of the Vietnam War and Asian History. My presentation usually focused on Social justice and world peace in which the US, as the most powerful and democratic state, has duty and obligation. In 1965-66 I offered a full term course on the Vietnam War and World Peace. At the end of the course I was presented with a plaque which reads

KNOWLEDGE:
Peace, Love and Truth

Dr. Dhirendra Sharma

The staff and students of World Understanding and Comparative Cultures wish to thank you for your words of
wisdom, inspiration and friendship.

Audience stood up and a girl student presented me with a knitted rope and said: “Prof. Sharma, this “noose” we had made, before we joined your course, because we thought you were a communist, and we wanted to hang you with this.

But having heard your words of truth and wisdom, now we present you this ‘noose’ with love..”As I was leaving the students were singing “he’s a jolly good fellow so say all of us…”