Indian-Nordic Encounters 1917-2006 - Det danske Fredsakademi

The two main models, the narrow single-issue campaign organisation and the ideologically
correct action group gets equally wide support, n but during different periods. At its peak the
narrow single-issue campaign against atomic weapon can mobilise 25 000 to listen to
speakers from all political parties and the final of a long march in 1962. At its peak can also
the Vietnam committees with their broader campaign against US imperialism mobilise 25 000
in a demonstration against the US embassy in 1968.
The end result of the two Danish models was lack of gaining hegemony in any decisive issue
against imperialism or support to liberation movements. Instead at its peak 1968 – 1970 the
state could intervene and split the movement with strong police repression against the weakly
organised movement. When the repression started this was blamed on the radical groups by
the more established organisations who choose to take the police point of view making it their
own. The Danish political culture allowed extreme freedom in certain fields. When the
student rebelled this was quickly turned into reform of the university and substantial student
democracy. But when houses were occupied with substantial support from the neighbourhood
and broad understanding among many in the population as housing was in very short supply,
this was strongly repressed. But if a group strongly enough defended their local interests it
could establish a free zone to develop their own practical alternative.
The outcome in Denmark is many strong pockets of resistance and lack of solidarity at
national level between different groups in opposition of the ruling order. Instead of the
Norwegian and Finnish model with one strong Marxist-Leninist organisation at the core and
single-issue organisations connected by informal or formal ways to this core in Denmark there
was more diversity. The strongest of the movement was focused on the Vietnam War. Its
radical faction soon was less interested in the Vietnam War and turned its interest instead in
general against Western imperialism and world domination while becoming smaller and
smaller.
In Sweden Gandhian Satyagraha and other Indian inspiration continued to play a central role
in renewing popular movements more than in the other Nordic countries. After the initial
Indian influence in the beginning of the 1960s on form and content of the new popular
movements it soon veined in Denmark, Finland and Norway. The inspiration was decisive in
bringing the Nordic countries out of the cold war stale mate. But after this organisational
models and content was developed that is hard to see as inspired by Gandhi or any other
Indian source. Indian thinking maintained some influence at the intellectual level in Norway
but had little influence in continuously inspiring movements during the 1960s. Sweden was
the exception were the Indian inspiration continued to put its mark on history. This was not
only through groups influenced by Gandhian or other Indian ideology like the young
theosophist or nonviolent direct actions groups like World citizen movement. It was also
influencing the anti-imperialist movement at its peak of radical mobilisation against the
Swedish state. The end result of this sustained Indian inspiration was worthwhile. The opinion
stating the need to support liberation movements in the Third World that at the beginning was
held by action groups with the support of maybe one percent of the population had by the end
of the decade support from political parties with 85 percent of the Swedish population behind
them. Swedish pupils took the lead by unanimously supporting an institute belonging to the
Mozambique liberation front with a days volunteer work, which resulted in a massive
economic and moral support all over Sweden. Thus the school campaign started by young
theosophists in support of children in areas held by the liberation movement in Algeria was
fully carried out with the support of established Swedish youth organisations.
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