TRUTH AND NON - VIOLENCE AS THE PATH TO WORLD PEACE

TRUTH AND NON - VIOLENCE AS THE PATH TO WORLD PEACE

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                           Author - Manali Bhalerao    ( Y. C. Law College, Pune ) 

            Today, when the world is combating issues like cross-border terrorism, international conflicts, wars, and other forms of violence. Besides their are corruption, communalism, unemployment, regionalism, ethical and more degradation in private and public life. All these together pose a grave challenge to the world. Peace is far away so long as these problems exist. 

            Among the various political ideologist democratic governance appears to be best because it is the best system which provides maximum opportunities of public progress and development. People can decide the mode of their welfare. But is the democratic system of governance free from above problems? Therefore Gandhian Philosophy is vary much contextual in current scenario. 

               Mahatma Gandhi treated his individual life in accordance with his ideas. He said, my life is my message. Therefore Gandhism is a mixture of Gandhi's concepts and practices. The basic groundship happens to be ' non - violence '. He Practiced and prescribed non - violence as a remedy against all social evils. He said, ' I have nothing new to teach you. Truth and non - violence are as old as hill. Non - violence and truth are two sides of a same coin. 

                Today, governments worldwide have not used much of democratic means to maintain peace, rather bound to display their military character and power to settle down issues that disturbed peace. They often fail to realize the fact that violence erupts at the social level, commutes to the political level and seeking a resolution finally at the military level. Diplomatic efforts have become more so customary and ineffective in front of military powers. The economic status of the nations too plays a crucial role in determining the degree of success of any peace initiative.

                  Mahatma Gandhi is a practical idealist. He is not a pacifist. The impact of Gandhian message on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was so profound and electrifying that he practiced the message and techniques for the liberation of the black people in America. 

                 Gandhi believed that ' Prayer is the only means bringing about orderliness and peace and repose in our daily acts ' . Gandhi was fascinated by ' The Bhagavat Gita '. According to him, ' Salvation of the Gita Is perfect peace '. 

                     Truth - "Indeed a civilian resister offers resistance only when peace becomes impossible" - Mahatma Gandhi

                      How truthful these words are even today! Global peace has a minutest message from these wise words which could unfold itself into broader perspectives; a civilian government fighting with its own rebel citizens to uphold peace in a country; or, an highly civilized, democratized nation striving to fight cross-border conflicts with its neighbors to maintain peace in the region; or an individual civilian endeavoring into micro-level actions to build or to be part of a peaceful society; Hence, peace becomes life for everyone and everything in the world. Even a civilian's economic needs mount into greater pressure at times, creating economic warfare that disturbs peaceful living.

                      Looking at the world, we see many individuals who have solely made a change, smaller or larger, in their communities with bountiful of peace in their thoughts and actions. Nobel peace prize winners in the current decade like Mr. Martti Ahtisaari , Mr. Muhammed Yunus , Ms. Waangari Maathai  and Ms. Shirin Ebadi  have effectively changed their parts of the world to maintain amity and bring peace into existence, hitherto had seen only injustice, inequality and communal turbulence. On the other hand, it must also be viewed how the leaders of the U.S.A., the Nobel winners Mr. Jimmy Carter , Mr. Al Gore  and Mr. Barack Obama had played a crucial role for understanding the global conflicts through political lens, effecting lasting peace across the globe.