By
C.S. Dharmadhikari
The United nations
has declared this decade as the Decade of Culture of Peace and
Non-violence for the children of the world. This declaration
pinpoints certain basic questions before us today and they will also
help to understand the philosophy of Gandhi. In my own way, I have
classified the various problems, which the world is facing in terms
of four P’s – population, poverty pollution and power politics or
power game. I also classify the remedies for these in terms of four
M’s viz. money power, muscle power, mafia power; and media power,
the way people in general tend to see them.
As it is rightly
said by the Director of UNICEF, “the gulf between the young and
adults seems to be growing every day not only in universities, but
in society as a whole. With their needs for absolutes the young are
less then ever able to tolerate injustice and disorders of the
world”. Thus, the difference between the capacity of younger and
older generations to tolerate injustice and corruption is a real
generation gap. There is no use in condemning and criticizing the
younger generation, when my generation has failed to reach the
values of life as propagated by Gandhi. It is true that on 15th
August 1947, we achieved political independence. But Gandhi always
used the word ‘swaraj’ and not ‘independence’. There is a
vast difference between independence and freedom. Political
independence we did get, but can it be said that we got freedom from
inequality or freedom from exploitation of all kinds, that is,
economic, religious, social and political? Unless this is achieved,
there cannot be peace in the world. When, therefore, the youth or
students revolt, though many times wrongly, we have no right to
condemn them. As rightly said by Oscar Wilde, “disobedience in the
eyes of any one who has read history, is man’s original virtue, it
is through disobedience that progress has been made, through
disobedience and rebellion.”
The well-known
report of the United Nations on human environment tells us that,
“the emotional attachment to our prized diversity need not interfere
with out attempts to develop the global state of mind which will
generate the rational loyalty to the planet as a whole. As enter
the global phase of human evolution, it becomes obvious, that each
man has two countries, his own, and the planet earth. Now that all
habitable parts of the globe are occupied, the careful husbandry of
the earth is sine qua non for the survival of the human
species and for creation of decent ways life for all the people of
the world”. But unfortunately even today, people are exploiting
nature. The moot question is whether nature is our ally or enemy.
The very word ‘exploit’ is explosive. If we treat nature as our
enemy, the man cannot survive on this planet. The last century was
a century of conquering nature. I am told, though I am not an
expert in the field, that small birds, like sparrows are vanishing
because of widespread use of mobile phones. Modernization has
become the latest orthodoxy. We are forgetting that modernization
is not necessarily modernity. In this process of modernization,
‘horse power’ is valued more than ‘man power’. The ‘standard of
spending’ is equated with the ‘standard of living’. Gresham’s law
that ‘bad money drives good money out of the market’ is not only
prevalent in the market but is also in vogue in social and political
circles. I am not dealing with Globalization or arm twisting market
economy. But I must draw your attention to the conclusion reached
by the ‘Wisdom Bank’ of Japan, that Japan is manufacturing
artificial wisdom so that men need not use their brains. It is
also manufacturing artificial needs so that greed should not become
need.
It was on 11th
September, 1906, a Movement was started in South Africa by Gandhi,
which ultimately came to be known as “Satyagraha”. Initially
the name give to this movement was “Passive resistance”. This was
resorted by the people, who had either no right to vote or were
otherwise, weak. They were not averse to the use of arms, if
possible, for the attainment of their aims. On the other hand,
Satyagraha is soul force, pure and simple. Satyagrahis
never use physical force, and that too although there were
occasions, and when they were in a position to use it effectively.
In a sense this was non-violent assistance in the right direction.
We may call it
coincidence or destiny, it was on 11th September, that
the World Trade Centre was demolished. After this demolition US
President, George Bush, remembered Gandhi. After the tragedy a new
youth organization has been founded in the United States, named as,
”We want Peace, not War”. There is another organization known as
“Seeds of Peace”. There is also one more organization of Muslim
Youth, who wonders as to whether, it is just and fair to call every
Muslim a friend of Bin Laden? They also observed that it is very
easy to live as a Hindu, as a Muslim, as a Buddhist, as a Christian,
but it has become very difficult to live as a pure and simple human
being. A point is also raised by these organizations that after
nine/eleven, though it is difficult to forget the destruction and
demolition of the World Trade Centre in New York the backlash of
hatred can not end terrorism. It is not possible to forget this
atrocity, but will it be correct to hate a person whom we did not
know, whom we have never seen, about whom we have never heard? If
this hatred is possible, they why it is not possible to love the
unseen, unknown and unheard person? This is a moot question, which
is relevant even today.
The 20th
century was the most violent period in human history. More people
have suffered and have been killed by organized violence than any
other time before. The wars, the genocides, the weapons of mass
destruction have created such an enormous mass misery and agony that
it is difficult to find any trace of hope. Therefore, Gandhi’s
teachings of non-violence are most relevant today. This is the
reason why amidst report of increasing teenage violence across the
United States, a Bill has been introduced in the New Jersey Assembly
seeking to include Gandhi’s teachings of non-violence in the school
curriculum. On 12 May, 2000, on Mother’s Day in New York, several
thousand mothers resolved and demanded a ban on the manufacture of
arms, and its use. Therefore, in my view the teachings of Gandhi
are not only relevant but also the only alternative. If we follow
Gandhi’s principle, then it is my belief that this century will be
the century of peace. Recently, Wolfowitiz, U.S. Deputy Defence
Secretary has suggested and advised that Palestinians should adopt
Gandhian Principles. He further said, “If they adopt Gandhian way,
they could in fact, make an enormous change very quickly. I believe
the power of individuals demonstrating peacefully is enormous”. It
is a different thing that USA is not following this, as the advice
is meant for others only.
Gandhi said,
“There is no half way between truth and non-violence on the one hand
and untruth and violence on the other. We may never be strong
enough to be entirely non-violent in thought, word and deed. But we
must keep non-violence as our goal and make steady progress towards
it. The attainment of freedom, whether of man, a nation or the
world, must be in exact proportion to the attainment of non-violence
by each”. Elsewhere he stated: “Non-violence is not a garment to be
put on and off at will, its seat is in the heart and it must be
inseparable part of our very being”. According to Gandhi, the
concept of non-violence is not a negative concept, but it is a
positive approach to ‘Life’. Gandhi did not resort to non-violent
resistance because he was unarmed, he resorted to non-violent
resistance, or call it assistance, because he had shed fear of all
arms. Gandhi had also realized the futility of arms. He knew that
the best can not be achieved by fear, because ‘fear is a dark room,
where only negatives are developed’. He also realized that all arms
become powerless once the man has shed the fear of arms. This was
the concept of non-violence of Gandhi which was positive, and
dynamic. It provided metaphysical foundation to the concept of
morality. Just as we have little reason to expect less violence in
a country if all of its citizens are armed with guns, even if they
all have the same kind of guns and the same number of bullets, so we
have little reason to expect less violence in the world, if all of
its nations are armed with weapons of mass destruction, not even if
there is some ‘balance’ or even equality among these weapons. In
short, to adopt non-violence is to adopt a new way of coming to
terms with our vulnerability, a new way of dealing with the fear to
which we are subject and the fear which we can
inspire in others.
Contrary to
misconception held by some people, however non-violence is not a
matter of substituting non-violent means of defence. Probably even
more basic is the transformations of our social and economic
institutions so that they are not the source of violence and
exploitation, to certain segments of society and they do not create
conditions to which violence in the expectable response. The
strength of a non-violent society does not lie in weapons of
destruction, it lies in the degree to which humane values are
embodied in its social institutions. These social institutions
involve not only the relations of human beings to our natural
environment and to other forms of life. If our goal is
non-violence, we cannot consume and destroy, destroy and consume, as
if it made no difference. For Gandhi, non-violence, in the negative
sense is not non-violence. Non-violence is not merely a ‘live and
let live’, formula, but it involves a Principle of ‘Live and help
others to live’, and these others should include human beings,
animals and nature.
In the present day
economy, animals have no place and it is our desire to include
animals as members of our family and society. In the Indian
Constitution, we have made a solemn declaration that al least one
animal, that is, cow shall not be killed fro any purpose
whatsoever. But it must be understood that animals should not be
man’s toy nor mere pets, because pets and toys are kept as long as
they amuse us. They day we chose to regard one animal as sacred and
not a mere pet, we took a great stride forward in the direction of
cultural progress. Ultimately, what is culture? Culture is the art
of living with others, living with nature, with the animal world,
and with fellow human beings. The word culture is most important.
We want culture of peace or non-violence to be established. Can
there be a Culture of Peace and Non-violence, is again a moot
question; and what do we mean by culture; such a culture will not be
Western or Eastern, but can be global, only.
The earth is
called ‘Vasundhara’ or ‘Vasumati’. Vasu means
wealth. We intend to search the wealth, not to exploit it, but to
make our lives gratifying and blessed. Therefore, the first article
of this revolutionary creed should be that ‘man is the measure of
all things’. Any you cannot preserve the dignity of man on
charity. The underlying principle is reverence for life. This is
true for all lives and that should b e our watch-word. The
reverence for human life first, then animals, and then for nature.
This is known in our ancient lores as ‘Vibhuti Yoga’ – the
worship of all, and relationship with everybody that makes life
rich. We believe in ‘Advyata’, that is, oneness, harmony,
co-ordination and mutual co-operation.
I want to as
question to myself, whether Gandhi has become out of date? There is
a misunderstanding about the very concept of Gandhi’s non-violence.
One armed man can be conquered by 10, 10 x 20, and so on, but not
all the armies of the world can not conquer the spirit on one true
man. This was Gandhi’s dynamic non-violence. But today, a question
is raised as to whether this instrument of non-violence has got any
use? While dealing with a person who does not believe in
non-violence, but believes in only race of arms. We are expecting a
positive reply from this seminar to this question which is posed
today at every corner of the street. It is true that we can our
governmental departments dealing with the arms and military as
‘defence department’. Everybody claims that the arms are being
manufactured for defence. Is this true and can this create peace
and harmony in the whole world? Is if possible that the Shanti
Sena as envisaged by Gandhi could be a solution where people
will gather not to kill each other, but will stake their own lives
to establish peace and harmony.
Whether we want ‘Yuddha
or Buddha’ War or Peace? Or peace through war? I do not
propose to deal
these questions.
In this context,
it is worthwhile to note that on the 27th of September
1984, while addressing the U.N. Assembly the then President of
America Ronald Reagan remembered Gandhi and said that “all problems
could be peacefully resolved, if adversaries talk to each other on
the basis love and truth. All through history the way of truth and
love has always won. This was the belief of Gandhi and his vision
and its remains good and true even today.” It was true in 1984, but
it appears that America feels that it is not true today.
I must remind this
august gathering that women are the silent victims of most of the
conflicts and are real targets. We generally talk about empowering
women, but do we really mean it, or want it? In my so called
religious country, the birth of the girl child is not welcomed.
Further all over the world, atrocities on women are increasing in
geometric proportion. Domestic violence is rampant. It was a
UNICEF Report which said “They (women) already bear and care for the
third world’s children. They make, wash and mend the third world’s
clothes. They clean the third world’s houses, collect their fuel,
cook the third world’s food, fetch the third world’s water, and look
after the third world’s sick.”
The modernization
and mechanization are tending to marginalize women in many sectors.
They are either pushed down or are thrown out of the work force.
The media has reduced woman to a commodity. Women all over the
world are worried about it. Therefore a movement has started in the
name of ‘women against pornography’. They said that ‘it is one
thing women can unite upon because we all get raped and we all get
beaten’. Women are constantly living under the fear of rape. As it
is rightly said by Brown Miller, ‘Rape is a social and political
instrument invented by man to oppress women socially, economically
and politically’. Noted Scholar, Elizabeth Bartinder says,
‘maternal instinct is just a myth invented several years ago to
subjugate women. Women gain no glory by being mothers. The
instinct is simply oppressive fiction’. Therefore, women in Western
liberalization movement have gone to the extent of saying that
‘paternal instinct is a taboo waiting to be born, criticized and
killed. Therefore, ‘down with motherhood’. This is an extreme
approach but we cannot ignore it, while dealing with the problem of
Culture of Peace and Non-violence. Gandhi spoke about ‘Stri
Shakti’, what exactly does it mean in the present day context?
The United Nations
has declared 2001 to 2010 as the decade of Culture of Peace and
Non-violence for the children of the world. Unfortunately we treat
our children as our property. We want them to be our carbon copies
or pocket edition. This is nothing but cruelty.
It was Kahlil
Gibran who said:
Your children are
not your children.
They are the sons
and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through
you but not from you,
And though they
are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them
your love but not your thoughts,
For they have
their own thoughts.
You may house
their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls
dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you can not
visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to
be like them, but seek not
to make them like
you.
For life goes not
backwards nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows
from which your children as living
arrows are sent
forth.
The archer sees
the mark upon the path of the infinite and
He bends you with
His might and His arrows may
go swift and far.
Let your bending
in the Archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He
loves the arrows that flies, He loves
also the bow that
is stable.
This view is also
expressed by Rabindra Nath Tagore in his ‘Snehagrass’.
However, it is a mood question as to whether we are living for the
children? Are we planning for the next generation? Or we want to
grab everything for ourselves, ignoring future generation or their
destiny. And, therefore, it appears that United Nations feel that
the Culture of non-violence and peace should be for the children of
the world,
who represent future of mankind. But they are abused
exploited in every possible sense and way.
Now, though late,
there is a realization that there is no other alternative to the
principle of non-violence. Otherwise this Century and Millennium
might witness unprecedented, proliferation of violence, because
history of wars and human destruction clearly tells us that people
have not learnt anything from destruction. Therefore, it should be
specifically emphasized that non-violence is to be accepted as the
basis of personal life and social life and also as the only feasible
and desirable technique of resolving conflicts, and those who
advocate peace should practice what they preach.
Future of mankind
depends upon its adopting non-violence as the principle of life on
which depends a happy union of science and spirituality. I call it
S+G that is Science plus Gandhi.
Source:
Explorations in Culture of Peace |