Choice of 21st Century: Non-violence or Non-existence

 By: Mamta

What is the one thing we all wish for before going to bed and when we wake up? A cheerful day and seeing happiness on the faces of our loved ones. Where does the happiness come from? It comes from love and peace which is the result of non-violence.

Non-violence not only implies not using weapons to take revenge but it teaches to completely uproot the feeling of taking revenge. Now you may ask, does it mean that if someone is harming us then we should remain completely silent? No, but if non-violence was practiced by everyone then there would be no question of taking revenge or defending ourselves. This message is strongly conveyed by the ‘Knotted Gun’ sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd on display at the UN Visitors’ Plaza.

When we exploit natural resources, we are committing violence against nature. When we irresponsibly use world’s resources just because we have power and money to do so, we are committing violence against humanity because somewhere people are deprived of all these resources due to poverty. All the violence committed knowingly or unknowingly adds up to the violence we are facing in the world today. We are taught from school days that history is made of choices. 21^st century, an era where social, cultural and political spheres are getting void of spirituality and a time when mankind is confronted with clashes of national interest, religious fundamentalisms and ethnic and racial prejudices, it is our choice to select non-violence as the means of laying the foundation of a new cosmopolitics.

Mahavira (599 BC-527 BC), the 24th Theerthankara of Jain religion, was a torchbearer of non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi practiced and spread the principle non-violence through his movements and writings and have become idol for many reformers like Lal Bahadur Shastri, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama and many more. His teachings gave birth to our 2^nd Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri whom we all respect and who used his powers to bring India on the path of development, for example, Green Revolution, White Revolution, etc. Thus, 2^nd October, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated as International Non-violence day.

Mahatma Gandhi taught us that we all are creations of the God who is an ocean of love. Even 72 years after death, he still lives in students, communities and societies who chose non-violence as a powerful strategy for in addressing and transforming conditions. We need to break the walls of discrimination, accept everyone as the gift of God and sow the seed of non-violence to build a sustainable future.