American musician Daryl Davis, an anti-racism icon, was in Mumbai recently to talk about his pioneering work of engaging with Ku Klux Klansmen in his country to wean them away from the white supremacist ideology
American musician Daryl Davis, an anti-racism icon, was in Mumbai recently to talk about his pioneering work of engaging with Ku Klux Klansmen in his country to wean them away from the white supremacist ideology. In the widely reported visit, Davis has been quoted as saying that conversation and engagement are the cornerstones of his belief that people can change, and though some may never, that is no reason why one cannot involve them in conversation or debate with points being presented respectfully.
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Though Davis was talking in the American context, he showed why it was vital to talk to break down barriers, show or be shown the light or simply be exposed to another point of view, even if one cannot ever be convinced into giving up one's ideology. His killing 'em softly with my song message should resonate here, at a time when social media is charged with hate exchanges and critics of the government are pushing back against what they say are attempts to covertly and overtly stifle dissent or freedom.
Whatever side of the fence you are on, two perspectives are better than one. Respect for another viewpoint is paramount, agreement is not. We may, like Davis's opponents, realise that we have more in common than in contrast, if we learn to talk to each other. In the city where caste and religious strife is manifest through communal riots or disruptions to life, reports on the Davis visit showed us how much can be resolved in non-violent ways. It also proved that one should always be sceptical of rabble rousing rhetoric and the attempts to create an environment of fear.
Davis was talking about race relations — black and white. Yet, such is the universality of his message that it would very well apply here, where schisms of all kinds are exploited by canny leaders who revel in and benefit from the divisions they create.
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