Lady Gandhi

During my M.Sc., I had the pleasure of meeting a Burmese researcher in the Physics department of Bangalore University who was then working towards her Ph.D. Her name was Dr. Yee Yee Oo. Apart from being a fun loving person who researched with great dedication, she was also deeply worried about the current affairs of her country. When ever we used to have an informal discussion about non-scientific issues, she always talked about the struggle of people against military rule. She described how women had to take extra effort to pursue their careers, and how the support they obtained were minimal. But always she showed a positive attitude towards life, and she was deeply influenced and inspired by her country woman Aung San Suu Kyi. She loved India very much, and always told me that we are one of the most fortunate people on earth. I always thought this as an exaggeration, but now I realize that it is not.

Freedom is one of the most important aspects of human life. With freedom comes responsibility, and hence a way of thoughtful expression. If this expression of mind is subdued, then basic human instincts are perturbed, and may lead to ‘man made’ catastrophes. There are few countries around the world where common freedom, which is oblivious in most of the democratic countries, is under severe threat. One such country is Burma, which shares its border with India, and one person in that country who is leading a non-violent struggle against the military rule is Madam Aung San Suu Kyi. Her story of struggle is truly astonishing, and she continues to fight for democratic freedom against an all pervasive Burmese military. She remains separated from her children who presently stay in UK, and it was sad that the Burmese military did not even allow her to meet Michael Aris, her husband who died due to cancer in 1999. She remains under house arrest in Burma, and lately has been charged by the Burmese military which has extended her confinement. It is rare in history to come across a person like Aung San Suu Kyi, as she has sacrificed her personal life to uplift her people. Though she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent democratic movement in Burma, she has not received the complete support of the world, which is unfortunate. Her struggle continues even today, and it is indeed amazing how this lady is taking mammoth efforts to fight for peace and freedom. I salute her courage.

According to me, she is the Lady Gandhi of the present world, and has inspired many people including me to cherish and respect the freedom we enjoy. Now I quietly sit back and think how important it was for Dr. Yee Yee Oo, when she said freedom is priceless, but to obtain it we have to pay a large price….I hope Burma will attain peace and freedom.