By Tenzin Sangmo
“We are not here to mourn Didi, but to pay tribute to her lifelong work and dedication towards the eradication of social evils. We gather here today to carry on her legacy, her greatness and to realize a vision she foresaw”, Swami Agnivesh.
New Delhi, May 17 – Magnanimous with strong principles, modest and a messiah of non-violence, Nirmala Deshpande delivered hope, comfort and extreme compassion to all those in need. Upholding her wisdom and her effort towards communal harmony, a memorial meeting was held at the India International Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi May 16. The gathering was initiated by Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche who has worked closely with the late Nirmala Deshpande over the years.
Eminent speakers included Swami Agnivesh, Dr. (Smt.) Kapila Vatsyayan( Rajya Sabha Member), Shri Rajiv Vohra (Director of Non-Violence Peace Force Asia), Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche and close aide of the Late Nirmala Despande, Shivnath Ram.
Fondly referring to her as ‘Didi’ which means elder sister in Hindi, Shivnath Ram recollected her humanitarian efforts in crisis situations in the nation. Be it the Naxalite Movement, Babri Masjid, Ayodhya, Godhra violence or militants in Kashmir she was always on ground zero risking life threatening conditions. Her belief in non-violence and empathy in time of movements sworn by hostility and armed insurrection made her a true Gandhian.
Swami Agnivesh addressed those gathered, “We need a new paradigm. Problems have always been there and will continue to exist. There are two solutions to these tribulations- finding an answer through violence or coming to mutual terms with non-violence…She was a milestone. We need to take inspiration from her rare courage and continue the work she has left behind. Be it the Dalai Lama or Nirmala Deshpande, the question in our mind is, will we be able to live up to their greatness and spirit? This poses a serious challenge to us.”
Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche paying tribute to her work, her achievements, non-violent struggle added that her contribution to the Tibetan cause had been immense. “We gather to discuss how to carry on her legacy, her prominence and strive to live up to her achievements. We can pay our respect by continuing the work she started decades ago and by adopting a non-violent stance in our actions.
Nirmala Deshpande was born in Nagpur to Vimala and PY Deshpande. She was a Rayja Sabha member since 1997 and was also briefly considered for the post of the President, which eventually went to Pratibha Patil. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her outstanding contribution to humanity. A recipient of the Padma Vibhushan she had devoted more than 60 years of her life to uplift the downtrodden and act as a bridge between the government and its people.
