[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7761-H7764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MEMORIAL TO HONOR MAHATMA GANDHI
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4284) to authorize the Government of India to establish a
memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi in the District of Columbia.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4284
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH MEMORIAL.
(a) In General.--The Government of India may establish a
memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi on the Federal land in the
District of Columbia.
(b) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary of the Interior
or any other head of a Federal agency may enter into
cooperative agreements with the Government of India to
maintain features associated with the memorial.
(c) Compliance With Standards for Commemorative Works.--The
establishment of the memorial shall be in accordance with the
Commemorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), except that
sections 2(c) and 6(b) of that Act shall not apply with
respect to the memorial.
(d) Limitation on Payment of Expenses.--The Government of
the United States shall not pay any expense of the
establishment of the memorial or its maintenance.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen).
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 4284 is a bill introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
McCollum). The gentleman from Florida is to be commended for working
very hard to craft a bill that will recognize and memorialize one of
the great world leaders of our time. H.R. 4284 would authorize the
Government of India to establish a memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi on
Federal property in the District of Columbia and would be in basic
accordance with the Commemorative Works Act. The memorial is to be a
gift to the people of the United States as a part of the celebration of
India's 50 years of freedom.
Mahatma Gandhi was born in India in 1869. He was best known for his
civil disobedience that took shape in nonviolence and passive
resistance and was instrumental in helping India achieve its
independence from England. He is revered by millions throughout the
world for his unending fight for personal freedom and human rights.
H.R. 4284 would allow the country of India to create the Mahatma's
memorial within the District of Columbia to
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honor this great man. Furthermore, this bill will also authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with the
Government of India in order to maintain features associated with the
memorial. Of note, the Federal Government shall not pay any expenses
for the establishment or maintenance of this memorial.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4284 is a worthy bill which will recognize an
important and great world leader within the boundaries of Washington,
D.C.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4284.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4284 is a companion measure to
H.R. 1390 as it was introduced by my colleague the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone). I also want to thank the gentleman from Florida
(Mr. McCollum) in providing for this joint measure.
The legislation authorizes the Government of India to establish a
memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi on Federal lands across the street
from the embassy of India here in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Speaker, Mahatma Gandhi, as everyone knows, is internationally
renowned as a great leader and for his teachings of passive resistance
and noncooperation in his native India. Perhaps this may be noted as
one of the dark pages of the British colonial rule at the time, the
fact that they were very reluctant to grant independence and freedom to
the people of India. As some of my colleagues and perhaps even the
American public may have seen, one of the great movies ever done on the
history of this great man, Mahatma Gandhi, a graduate of Oxford
University, started his early practice in South Africa, and an attorney
by profession turned, the fact that here was this man who paid a first-
class ticket on a train and with this British officer noted that here
was an Indian sitting in a first-class cabin was insulting to this
British officer. The rest is history, Mr. Speaker, given the fact that
Mahatma Gandhi was not only beaten by these British officers, but it
changed his entire life and seeing that his people were certainly under
suppression by British colonial rule.
This movement of nonviolence, Mr. Speaker, as noted also by my
colleagues, had tremendous influence even on the civil rights movement
here in America. The fact that the great American Martin Luther King,
Jr. was tremendously influenced not only by the teaching but by the
example that Mahatma Gandhi had lived for in his life in trying to set
the people of India free from British colonial rule.
Mr. Speaker, it was my privilege months ago with the chairman of the
Committee on International Relations when we visited New Delhi, India
to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the independence of India and to
again not only remind the Indian people among the leaders but to see
the tremendous contributions that this Indian leader had given not only
to his own country but certainly to the world. And the fact that as a
result of what Mahatma Gandhi has done, Mr. Speaker, we have 980
million people living in India, the largest or the most populous
democracy in the world, is a demonstration of not only the commitment
of Mr. Gandhi to see that his people be let free from British colonial
rule is an example; and even more so in the fact that our own country
was tremendously influenced not only by this man who happens to be an
Indian but the fact that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s own writings, own
example in the civil rights movement was greatly influenced by this.
Mr. Speaker, I think this legislation is most proper and appropriate
and we see that there should be a memorial built here, in the premises
here in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum), the sponsor of this legislation.
Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. I
really appreciate very much the chairman of this subcommittee who has
brought this bill to the floor through the urging of several of us and
done it in a fine form and fashion.
I rise today specifically to express my support for the passage of
H.R. 4284, a bill, as I think all of us know, to allow India to
establish a memorial to honor Mahatma Gandhi here in Washington, D.C.
I am joined also in this effort by my good friend and colleague the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). The gentleman from New Jersey
and I cochair the India Congressional Caucus, a bipartisan group that
is designed to promote understanding between the United States and
India.
As all of us know, India is the world's largest democracy. It has
shared our commitment to freedom of speech, democratic values and the
rule of law since its inception in 1947. This memorial is a positive
reminder of the growing relationship between the world's oldest
democracy and the world's largest democracy. The memorial is a gift to
the people of the United States from the people of India in celebration
of India's 50 years of freedom. It will symbolize not only the strong
friendship between the U.S. and India but also the impact that Gandhi
had in the United States and in particular on the civil rights
movement.
Mahatma Gandhi was known for his acts of civil disobedience which
took the form of nonviolence and passive resistance. His efforts were
key in helping India to achieve its independence from England and
inspired leaders in the United States and throughout the world. His
actions prevented unnecessary bloodshed and served as the foundation
for peaceful resolution of conflict.
It is fitting that we take on this bill which commemorates the father
of the nation of India during the anniversary of India's independence.
We have had a growing and strong relationship with India in recent
years. In the coming years it appears to me that the need for our
alliance will be even greater. We are confronted with so many troubling
matters in the world today, including terrorism, including the
possibility of threats of chemical, nuclear and biological
proliferation, and while we have some disputes with India always, and
that will inevitably be the case, for the most part we are on exactly
the same track. As a strong ally in the future, India will be a partner
of the United States in so many ways in foreign policy that I see. In
addition to that, India is an increasingly extremely important trading
partner for economic interests with this country and their country.
Indian Americans are very strong citizens of the United States who
believe deeply in democratic values, values that are shared both in
their native country and in their adopted country of the United States.
This particular legislation with this particular memorial that we are
setting forth today gives us a way of saying to each other, as nations
and as peoples, we have shared values and commitments. We know there
are times when we will have disagreements, but those are comparatively
very minor to the major agreements that we have and the shared values
that we have. It is terribly important that we go forward with this
bill and with our continued building of a strong relationship between
India and the United States.
The government of India strongly supports the legislation. The
memorial will not cost, as has been said, the taxpayers a cent. I do
not know of any objections to its construction whatsoever.
Mr. Speaker, for all of the above reasons aforesaid, I urge the
adoption of this bill.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for
yielding time. I also want to commend and to congratulate the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) who is chairman of the India Caucus for
his sponsorship of this legislation as well as for the effort that he
puts to increase the relationship between the United States and India.
A memorial to Mahatma Gandhi is very easy to support. As a matter of
fact, as has already been indicated, he led the greatest resistance
movement
[[Page H7763]]
in a nonviolent way that the world had ever seen at that moment. And
then, of course, as has already been indicated, he was an inspiration
to Dr. Martin Luther King who in our modern era led the most effective
nonviolent resistance movement that we have ever seen during
contemporary times.
Most importantly, though, this memorial will signal even greater
relationships between the two countries, the two democracies, the
largest, I believe, as someone said, and the oldest. I think that that
in and of itself is a tribute to all of us. And so I very greatly
endorse and support this legislation and again commend the sponsor for
its initiation.
{time} 1630
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding this
time to me. I am just so very pleased to rise in full support for this
resolution H.R. 4284 that is going to allow the country of India to
create the Gandhi memorial within the District of Columbia to honor
this very great person.
It is true we celebrated the 50th anniversary of India. It is true,
as has been stated, that it is one of the greatest democracies along
with the United States. It is true that its constitution begins with
``we the people,'' just as our Constitution does. It is true that we
have a very active Indian-American caucus here, and I can see the
chairman of the caucus is over there.
I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) of the full
committee, the chairman, for this legislation as well as the gentleman
from California (Mr. Miller), the ranking member; indeed the gentleman
from Utah (Mr. Hansen), who is the chairman of the subcommittee, and
the gentleman from American Samoa, (Mr. Faleomavaega) for this.
As my colleagues know, I used to teach English and American
literature, and it was Henry David Thoreau who wrote Walden and also
wrote On Civil Disobedience. And in writing Walden, he talked about the
mystical waters of India, of the Ganges, and what the spiritualism
implied and what it meant. And in Civil Disobedience, where he spent
that night in jail because he resisted peacefully something that he
believed was wrong, he indicated that he attributed that this was
something that was a way that we should resolve conflict.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Mahatma Gandhi looked to Henry David
Thoreau when he was involved in civil disobedience in terms of peaceful
resistance to what was wrong. We then know that it was Martin Luther
King, Jr., who then looked to Gandhi for that continuation of that. So
it all comes together in terms of the importance of Mahatma Gandhi in
terms of our relationship and friendship with India, in terms of what
we believe in in America and what our Indian Americans adhere to as a
part of this great country.
So I commend all of the people who have been involved, I thank them
very much for this resolution coming out today, and I urge the entire
House to support it.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland
(Mrs. Morella) for her fine comments, and certainly very appropriate on
the occasion of deliberating on this piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), not only the chairman of the India Caucus,
but certainly a great leader on this issue.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the
subcommittee and, as the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella)
mentioned, the other members of the Committee on Resources for pushing
this bill so we could bring it to the floor this day and get it passed
and sent over to the Senate.
As my colleagues know, the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. McCollum) co-chairs the India Caucus with me, and this is
a bipartisan effort. We have over a hundred Members in our India
Caucus, and this is one of the bills that we have been trying to push
on a bipartisan basis throughout most of this year. We are very pleased
that it is coming to the floor today.
There is a companion bill offered by Senator Moynihan, who is a
former U.S. Ambassador to India, that is being sponsored in the Senate,
again on a bipartisan basis, so if we can get it over to the Senate, we
will undoubtedly get it signed by the President before the end of this
year.
As was mentioned last month, India celebrated actually the 51st
anniversary of her independence, and of course the individual most
closely identified with the historic and successful effort by the
people of India to secure the independence from British colonialism and
establish a democracy was Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's contributions to the
causes of democracy, freedom, and human rights are felt to this day not
only in India but throughout the world, including here in the United
States. And that is why I think it is particularly important that we
have a memorial or a monument to him here in Washington, D.C., which of
course is our capital and the place where we celebrate democracy and
the freedoms that we enjoy as the leader of the free world.
I just wanted to say very briefly, Mr. Speaker, when I was in India a
couple times, I had the opportunity to go to the Gandhi ashram in
Ahmadabad and also to a place where Gandhi spent a number of years in
Bombay, and I was incredibly impressed with the way he organized this
movement in India. There is really nothing quite like it in terms of
the way he took an intellectual idea and was able to expand it to the
masses of the people in India and have success in throwing off the yoke
of colonialism.
From a practical standpoint, though, I wanted to say that this
memorial will be entirely not only an appropriate addition to this
city, but it will not cost the Federal Government anything. The
legislation specifies that American taxpayers will not have to bear the
cost of construction and maintenance. The Embassy of India will bear
all costs. The National Capital Memorial Commission and the National
Park Service will both have very active consultative roles, ensuring
that it will add to the beauty of our capital and blend in well with
the surrounding area.
The location of the tract of land where the memorial will be erected
is close to the Embassy of India. It has been selected because the
location would be in keeping with the Commemorative Works Act for
location of commemorative works as subjects of lasting historical
significance to the American people, and I wanted to point out that the
proposed monument was approved last June by the National Capital
Memorial Commission.
So, Mr. Speaker, this city is a city of great monuments and
memorials, and we are just very happy on behalf of the India Caucus to
have this addition added to those commemorative monuments.
Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to make another note of the fact that in
our Nation we have over 1 million Indian Americans living in our
country that make tremendous contributions to their local communities
and to the several States, and the fact that the gentleman from Florida
(Mr. McCollum) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) are both
co-chairs of the India Caucus. I think it is a tribute to the over 1
million Indian Americans that live in our own Nation that show such
diversity that we provide to our community and the citizens here.
Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4284, a
bill to authorize the establishment of a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi
here in the nation's capital.
Born October 2, 1869 in Probandar, western India, Mahatma Gandhi was
the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and advocate of nonviolence
in the 20th century. Appealing to reason, justice, and tolerance,
Gandhi served as a powerful and effective force in bringing about
Indian independence through his teaching of nonviolent civil
disobedience.
In many ways, India's independence and strength today owes much to
the conviction and courage of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's leadership in
promoting peaceful social and political change has inspired many around
the world and sustained efforts for the improvement of civil and human
rights worldwide. He has won the affection of so many, including
[[Page H7764]]
revered American leaders like civil rights advocate Martin Luther King,
for his tireless efforts to improve social equality. In addition to
playing a pivotal role in creating modern India, Gandhi's work provides
a model for generations to come.
Today's measure builds on earlier Congressional efforts to honor
Gandhi. In 1994, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Gandhi's
birth, I authored a resolution to honor Gandhi's unwavering dedication
to India's people and a man whose name has come to symbolize freedom
and justice around the world.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its India's independence,
it is both fitting and appropriate that we honor Gandhi's legacy with
the establishment of a memorial in the nation's capital, where people
from all around the world can gather to commemorate and reflect on
Gandhi's life and vision. I am proud to join my colleagues in voting
for this important measure.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4284.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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