In this day and age when most politicians are despised as being selfish and self-centred, power-hungry and corrupt while trying to dominate or dictate to the people instead of being servant-leaders as they should be, the United Nations today marks the International Day of Non-Violence coinciding with the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.
According to the UN, the name of Mahatma Gandhi transcends the bounds of race, religion and nation-states and has emerged as the prophetic voice of the 21st century. The world remembers Mahatma Gandhi not just for his passionate adherence to the practice of non-violence and supreme humanism, but as the benchmark against which we test men and women in public life, political ideas and government policies and the hopes and wishes of our shared planet. Mahatma Gandhi, who helped lead India to independence, has been the inspiration for non-violent movements for civil rights and social change across the world. Throughout his life, Mahatma Gandhi remained committed to his belief in non-violence even under oppressive conditions and in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. The theory behind his actions, which included encouraging massive civil disobedience to British law as with the historic Salt March of 1930, was that “just means lead to just ends”, that is, it is irrational to try to use violence to achieve a peaceful society. He believed that Indians must not use violence or hatred in their fight for freedom from colonialism.
A statesman works for the next generation while most politicians speak and act with their main aim being the next election. Mahatma Gandhi is widely respected as one of the few such statesmen of modern times with South Africa’s legendary leader Nelson Mandela also being ranked as one such statesman.
Mahatma Gandhi has said the first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. He adds, “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent, gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosity are the exclusive possession of no single race or religion. An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it”.
According to the UN, the principle of non-violence — also known as non-violent resistance — rejects the use of physical violence to achieve social or political change. Often described as “the politics of ordinary people”, this form of social struggle has been adopted all over the world by people in campaigns for social justice. Professor Gene Sharp, a leading scholar on non-violent resistance, uses the following definition in his publication, The Politics of Nonviolent Action:
“Nonviolent action is a technique by which people who reject passivity and submission and who see struggle as essential can wage their conflict without violence. Nonviolent action is not an attempt to avoid or ignore conflict. It is one response to the problem of how to act effectively in politics, especially how to wield powers effectively.”
While non-violence is frequently used as a synonym for pacifism, since the mid-twentieth century the term non-violence has been adopted by many movements for social change which do not focus on opposition to war. One key tenet of the theory of non-violence is that the power of rulers depends on the consent of the people, and non-violence therefore seeks to undermine such power through withdrawal of the consent and cooperation of the people.
There are three main categories of non-violent action: Protest and persuasion, including marches and vigils; non-cooperation and non-violent intervention, such as blockades and occupations. Establishing a culture of peace and sustainable development are at the heart of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s mandate. Training and research in sustainable development are among the priorities, as well as human rights, education, skills for peaceful relations, good governance, Holocaust remembrance, the prevention of conflict and peace building.
Mahatma Gandhi has also said, “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God and non-violence is the means of realising Him”. Political leaders need to remember this; otherwise it would be a case of dust to dust or ashes to ashes.
