BANGALORE: The history of man is the history of War. So says John Devaraj. He is a busy man. By October 2, he wants to open what he calls the ‘Peace Museum’, the first-of-its-kind museum in the country. The idea behind the Peace Museum springs from the fact that present day children and youth are unaware of ignorant of the dangers of war, existence of armies and defense expenditures all linked with their daily life. “War is not a particular time of exchange of gunfire or physical battles. But the value, priority and the practice of human hatred, greed, want possession, killing and destruction. Most of our natural and national resources are spent on human destruction than on human construction,” says Devaraj. So, through sculptures and installations, the social activist and artiste is planning to make people, especially children aware of the nature of war and destruction.“Almost 505 of the national resource are spent on ‘defense’ directly and indirectly. Why is there a need? Every time you buy a banana for two rupees , a rupee went to war efforts! From a cup of tea for Rs. 4, two rupees went to the making of the bullet! They did not ask you but you said yes with your silence. Silence at the practices of violence is not neutrality but taking the side of the oppressor,” says Devaraj.The Peace Museum will showcase the history of origins, World War I, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the US war against war, the Indo China war, the Polpot of Cambodia and the killing of two million, the Indo-Pak war, the Bangladesh war, the Palestine-Israel conflict, the struggle of Nelson Mandela against racism and its victory, the vision of Mahatma Gandhi and his practice of non violence, the peaceful resistance of the Burmese democracy leader Sunyaki and the likes, through sculptures and installations.The Peace Museum will profoundly display artists, musicians, singers, dancers, dramatists and peoples movements for peace. “We are also planning to start a peace café in the museum. The peace cafe will show peace performances and provide a forum for dialogue and discussions for poets, writers and artistic work on the theme of peace," points out Devaraj.Schools and colleges will be requested to send student groups to visit the Peace Museum wherein they will view the exhibition, watch a theatrical performance, discuss and debate and get home armed with a certificate of peace salute. These activities will lead to a Peace Festival Oceans of Joy which will be held in Bangalore on December 16, 17 and 18.“The Peace Museum will be located at my gallery KH Kala Soudha in Hanumanthnagar. I hope to open it by October 2, Gandhi Jayanti,” says Devaraj. “What does Mahatma Gandhi say on the Atom Bomb about Non violence? How did Nelson Mandela Practice Non violence against the Apartheid regime? How did gain his freedom? What is the strength and power of an individual to change society? What did john Lennon mean when he sang, Imagine these no countries. How do artists, singers, filmmakers, dancers, photographers react to war and the production of a culture of peace. These and more critical questions we want to place before the young mind,” he adds. For more details, contact [email protected].
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