Bhavan Australia 63.Indd

Our Tribute to Tribal People of Every Nation This yeear, the Inntteerrnnationnal Daayy of Nonn--VViiolence takes on special significance. The DDayy,, whiich marrkks thee biirtthhday ooff Mahatma Gandhi, falls during the sixtiethh annniiveerrsaarryy of thhe Unniiveerrsaal DDeeccllaarration of Human Rights. There is a profoounnd phhilloossoopphhiicaall connnneccttioon beettwweeen the fundamental principles of human riigghhtts enshhrrinneed in thhe UUnnivveerrsaal DDeclaration and those practised by Mahatmma Ganddhhii. The annswwer forr Maahhattmmaa Gaanddhi wwaas aalwwaayyss found in action. As he said, “An ounce of prraacttice iiss wortth moorre tthaann toonns oof preaching.” The rest of us can seek to emmullaate hhis sspiirit onnly bby praaccttisinng the tenets of non-violence, justice and peacee. Toddaayy, tthhe lleggacyy annd thee priinncciipples of the Mahatma are carried forward in our celebration of the Unniveerrsaall Deecclaarattionn of HHummaan RRiigghts. They are carried forward through the activities of the Unitedd Naationss anndd ouur invaaluuaablle ppaarrtnneerrss in civil society: religious leaders, teachers, artists and so many otheers. Our tassk is tto ennssure thaat thee riigghtts inn thhee Declaration are a living reality -- that they are known, understtood andd ennjjooyed by eeveerryoonee, eeveryywwhere. It is often those who most need their human rights protected, whho also neeeed to bee infoormmeed thhaat the Declaration exists -- and that it exists for them. The rights of ttooo mmaannyy peeopple aroounnd thhee worrlldd are still violated. That is why the Mahatma’s legacy is more importaant thhaan evveerr. On this Innterrnnaatioonnaal DDay off Nonn--Viiooleennccee,, and this sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Hummann Righhtts, mayy Mahaatmma Ganddhi innsspire us in our mission. - Ban Ki-moon United Nations Secretary-General 1 October 2008 6.3 September 2008 World Peace International Day of Non-Violence Following is the text of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi’s Address to the UN General Assembly on the occasion of First Observance of the International Day of Non - violence on October 2nd, 2007. It is an honor to address the United Nations General Assembly, as we observe on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary the “International Day of Non-violence” for the first time. This is a collective homage of the world community to one of the greatest men of all times, a homage that rises above politics and speaks to all humankind. May I convey to the General Assembly the gratitude of over a billion people of my country for this tribute. I also extend our sincere appreciation to all those member states who co-sponsored the resolution and extended their support to it. To South Africa in particular, on whose very soil Mahatma Gandhi, on the 11th of September, 1906, started his political and spiritual journey, the “Satyagraha” or “Truth Force” movement. War, conflict and bloodshed have long been rooted in human history and the human psyche as the preordained and inevitable instruments of power. Violence has come to be regarded as the norm, and nonviolence as a mere aberration. It is striking, as one observer has pointed out, that there is no proactive word for non- violence in almost any language. It has not been regarded as a concept in itself, but simply the negation of something else. Other concepts have their own antonyms: war and peace, sin and virtue, hatred and love. Yet even though all the world’s religions preach non-violence, there is no affirmative, independent word for it. Thus, in our very thought processes, the concept of violence has been central, that of nonviolence marginal. Not surprisingly, then, fallacies about non-violence abound. Some think that it is a sign of weakness or cowardice. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Non-violence goes far beyond passive resistance or even civil disobedience. To practice it in its true sprit demands strict discipline of mind: the courage to face aggression, the moral conviction to stay on the course and the strength to do so without harbouring any malice towards the opponent. At the heart of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence, was his belief - that strength comes from righteousness, not force. Power comes from truth, not might. Victory comes from moral courage, not imposed submission. He held that means and ends are inseparable, and that in fact the means themselves shape the ends. He believed unworthy means can never produce worthy ends. History, both past and contemporary, confirms that violence only begets violence in an unending spiral, fostering hatred and revenge. Violence seeks to impose and overwhelm, which is why its victories are transitory. Nonviolence seeks to engage and persuade, which is why its results are enduring. The Gandhian practice of non-violence took many forms, but it always required an intense engagement with the opponent. The victory that Mahatma Gandhi strove for was to win over the adversary, not to vanquish him. The dialogue that he fostered was founded on a spirit of genuine tolerance - the appreciation and understanding of the “other” or “others”. He asked us to introspect, to reach out and engage, to look within and ask to what 2 6.3 September 2008 extent are we ourselves responsible? Can anyone really claim a monopoly over truth and righteousness? We must allow space for understanding and accommodation for the soaring spirit of humanity to rise above the hopelessness and despair which threatens to ravage the human soul. It is often said that Mahatma Gandhi’s times were radically removed from those we live in today. Some question the relevance of his methods in today’s fast-paced and globally interlinked world, where threats to peace, security and social harmony abound. But the essential validity of Mahatma Gandhi’s truth has not changed, because human nature itself has. not changed. Looking back, if the 20th century was the most bloody in human history, it was also the century where non-violence saw its greatest triumphs, cutting across the boundaries of continents and faiths. It is worth remembering that among the myriad civil disobedience movements, the only army of non-violence was the one led by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known to history as ‘The Frontier Gandhi’. Today individuals and movements all over the world, continue to develop innovative, nonviolent ways to overcome oppression, combat discrimination and build democracy. These are the successes which keep the flame of hope burning bright. Mahatma Gandhi himself was, first and foremost, a man of action. While he was indeed a man of deep contemplation, he was also a man of galvanic energy. It is this energy that enabled him to overcome resistance arising from hostility, indifference and cynicism. It is this energy that gave him the resilience to press ahead, in spite of tremendous obstacles and tribulations. As he himself once said: “we must ourselves become the change we seek.”As we look around us today, we see violence everywhere: • Violence against each other reflected in the spread of terrorism, the disturbing emergence of non-state players and our collective failure to move towards comprehensive, universal nuclear disarmament. • Violence against the poor and the vulnerable, against women and children, caused by social strife and inequities spawned by economic globalization. • And violence against Planet Earth reflected in man-made, climate-changing activities and unsustainable lifestyles. Even as we are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s life, let us today affirm our commitment to the Gandhian way, a commitment that is reflected in demonstrable actions and results. Let us ensure that this Day, does not get reduced to an annual ritual. Let us strive to adopt his methods to our present day challenges, with earnestness and perseverance. Ladies and gentlemen, it is not the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi that is in question today. What is in question today is whether we have the courage to emulate what he preached and practiced, what he lived and died for. There are some who believe that violence and aggression are innate in human nature. There are those who have shown that human beings can and have often evolved to a higher stage. For, Mahatma Gandhi, the remarkable personality we honour today, a man who achieved complete nonviolence, “is not a saint”. Let us then strive to follow this path of non-violence and in so doing become “truly human”. Courtesy India Perspectives, January - March 2008 3 6.3 September 2008 Editorial Page Current Board of Directors Publisher & Managing Editor: Office Bearers : Gambhir Watts [email protected] President Gambhir Watts Editorial Committee: J Rao Palagummi Treasurer Catherine Knox Catherine Knox Rajesh Katakdhond Surendralal Mehta- Chairman Emeritus [email protected] President Bhavan Worldwide Designing Team: Company Secretary Sridhar Kumar Kondepudi Utkarsh Doshi J Rao Palagummi Advertising: Other directors are [email protected] Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Abbas Raza Alvi; Moksha Watts Suite 100 / 515 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Nominees of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Worldwide: * The views of contributors to Bhavan Australia are not necessarily the views Homi Navroji Dastur, Executive Secretary and Director General of Bhavan Australia or the editor. Jagannathan Veeraraghavan, Executive Director, Delhi *Bhavan Australia reserves the right to edit any contributed articles and Mathoor Krishnamurti, Executive Director, Bangalore letters submitted for publication. Copyright: all advertisements and Palladam

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