The co-founder of a group training students to be gun safety “ambassadors” said during a Dec. 31
graduation ceremony that gun violence prevention should be about compassion rather than
politics.
Shailendra Palvia, co-founder of AHIMSA-End Gun Violence, told the eight local high school
students who graduated that religious group leaders are often reluctant to discuss the issue
because they believe it’s too politically charged.
The graduation also featured remarks by then-state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Brambleton. He was
sworn in as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Virginia’s 10th Congressional
District on Jan. 3. While saying many Republicans are reluctant to pass gun safety laws,
Subramanyam said there is some bipartisan support for reform.
He noted he got a bill passed last spring in the General Assembly for a five-day “cooling off”
period between when people buy guns and when they’re allowed to take possession of them. The
bill, which was designed to prevent gun suicides and domestic violence-related gun homicides,
was vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin.
Subramanyam said he respects the right of people to own guns for hunting or self-defense, but
said there needs to be stricter gun laws to keep people safe.
“This is an emotional issue, but one we have to address,” he said. “Whether it’s in schools or
public places, we have to feel safe in our community. We have to make sure we are doing the
commonsense, evidence-based things that you all have looked into and talked about to resolve
this. But we’re not going to do it if it’s just one political party doing it on its own.”
Gun violence is a leading cause of deaths in the United States, with rates higher than most
developed and developing
countries. Every day more than 120 people are killed by guns, twice as many shot and wounded.
With only 4.2 percent of
the world's population, USA accounts for 46 percent of global civilian gun ownership.
Since 1999, mass shootings in the US have continued to erupt in schools, theaters, supermarkets,
restaurants, places of
worship, and malls, basically most public places. Essentially, no place is safe. Americans are
living in fear. We have
seen time and again that each act of gun violence is succeeded by prayers, candles, flowers,
widespread media coverage,
and resolution to act but nothing really happens.
What is causing this epidemic of gun violence? The Second Amendment was ratified in 1791
according to the needs of those
times. It is obsolete now, since security needs have drastically changed. One sentence in the
Second Amendment has
created colossal confusion: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free
state, the right of the
people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Gun violence in America: Thoughts, prayers, flowers, and candles are futile without
action
All Ahimsa Internships were conducted by Professor Shailendra Palvia and enriched by
three guest speakers: Vaisheshi Jalajam, Swati Narayan, and Shveta Jain. Swati has been
a crusader for curbing gun violence for over two decades and was an invited participant
at the Gun Sense University Conference on June 12, 2024, in Washington, DC, which was
addressed by President Biden.
The Ahimsa Interns’ graduation ceremonies were attended by local politicians such as Michelle
Au, Ashwin Ramaswamy, and Michelle King, who support sensible legislation to curb gun violence.
Ahimsa has partnered with the Smart Program of Everytown for Gun Safety. Ahimsa graduate
Saankhya Jalajam has published a book of poems on the theme of Ahimsa to end gun violence.
Our organization is futuristic by having one important niche of educating the youth. We
want to inculcate the philosophy of Ahimsa and its power to curb the gun violence among our
youth.
In the long run the goal is to inoculate the youth against gun violence. Towards this end, we
inaugurated the very first NOVEL Ahimsa Internship on June 11, 2023 taught by Professor
Dr. Shailendra Palvia.
Nine students in the age-group 15 to 20 joined this Internship Program. The syllabus for this
Internship is rigorous with assigned five textbooks, one term paper, two short write-ups,
and one field trip which occurred on Friday, July 14 when all of us including interns interacted
with GA House Representative Dr. Michelle Au.
There will be a final examination on August 6 followed by distribution of Certificates of
Internship Completion.
