Dulcie is reluctant for her walk when the ground is wet. With the courtyard wet following the day long rain, I thought she might like to stretch herself as usual with her short run and chase game. But she refused to move in spite of cajoling. Usually when she hears, 'biscuit' she becomes alert and is ready to move! But that did not entice her yesterday!
I stood in her way from getting into the house. The three scenes above are her ways of protesting. That was passive resistance. She refused to come in. I gave in and let her go inside the house !
It was the Quakers about a century ago who gave birth to the idea of passive resistance. The best expression was during the massive witch hunt the Nazi regimen pursued after the Jews in many European nations. The passive resistance included protecting the Jews in hidden places and severing any information leak to the Nazi regimen.
What was even more significant was cultivating the spirit of passive resistance through the exercise of silence and meditation they practiced in small groups. The strength to resist was found during such times of directing their thoughts and needs towards God under whose guidance they extended this approach to about fifteen European countries during the Second World War.
The prayer meetings which Mahatma Gandhi held in the mornings and evenings during the independence struggle in India was another illustration of upbuilding people to abhor violence and embrace peaceful resistance. It was this model that Martin Luther the Junior advocated in the USA during the cicil rights movement and Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu exercised during the struggle for political freedom in South Africa.
I was reminded of these stories of historical turning points in the history of nations, when Dulcie with a resolve practiced passive resistance!
Did I loose!
Did she gain!
To me, it was an occasion to respect the autonomy of a dog and regard mindfully the aspiration of a pet, who normally complies easily.
The ground of our being is this mutual regard !
How important it is to relate to others with utmost regard and respect !
I realised that passive resistance is not a protest, but an expression of autonomy!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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