No!

I just heard that George W. Bush plans to lay a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in New Delhi this week.

That is utterly outrageous. How dare he?

How dare the Indian government acquiesce to such a bare-faced insult?

"When Bush places a wreath at the monument, it will be as if he pours a glass of blood on Gandhi."
- Arundhati Roy

This breaks my heart. It is only a memorial, after all, but... who could even conjure such an absurdly blatant insult to the whole world's intelligence?

"India is seeking business from the U.S.; the U.S. wants markets for its products so this Indo-U.S. relationship is nothing but an attempt to exploit each other. From the western point of view it is economic colonization. India has sold its soul to materialism and will bend over backwards to get some dollars from the U.S. ... The only way Bush can honor Gandhi is by taking a chapter from his life and showing greater compassion for the poor people of the world and not by laying a wreath at his memorial. Bush is a warmonger, he believes in peace through the barrel of a gun and has set the world on a course of violent devastation. Gandhi had hoped for greater compassion, respect, understanding between the peoples and nations of the world."
- Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson

How do we find hope in a world where such things can happen? Here is Gandhi's grand-daughter:

"I can only hope and pray that maybe some truth and some possible transformation in [Bush's] own philosophy is driving him to this sacred place... We need peace, we need some sanity in the world. Gandhiji said, 'An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.' That truth should help caution Bush against war and the use of war and violence for any purpose. I truly and deeply hope that the spirit of Gandhiji will help to transform his views and he will stop using violence and war. If Bush really wants to honor Gandhiji he will lay a wreath at the memorial and in so doing commit himself to renounce his use of violence and war."
- Ela Gandhi

Gandhi, I am sorry: my efforts have not been enough to stop this sacrilege on your memory. The world remembers your name only, but has chosen to forget your ideals. Since you died, only the weak, the poor and the destitute have dared embrace your vision.

I can only hope that Bush's visit to your memorial will be broadcast on every television screen around the globe, so that the whole world can share with me this sickening sense of revulsion, shame, sorrow and outrage.

No empire intoxicated with the red wine of power and plunder of weaker races has yet lived long in this world.

UPDATE: 100,000 protesters gather in the heart of Delhi to protest Bush's visit!

Look, Americans - this is what real Democracy is all about!!! Use it or lose it!!!