“A man who says that no patriot should attack the war until it is over is saying no good son should warn his mother of a cliff until she has fallen.” – G.K. Chesterton
In recent days a lot of my otherwise peace-loving friends who in my experience have never in their lives acted violently with any one, have attempted to convince me that a violent retort to violence is a justified response.
They are influenced by hysterical, blaring television anchors, newscasters and by dicey social media platforms which spread facts, fiction and misinformation in unequal measure and influence these shiftless-non-thinkers and the unthinking-fence-sitters to their points of view.
These friends are upset and frustrated with me for not agreeing with them when I contend that I prefer peace to war, since I know for sure that war and violence do not stop war and violence.
Violence seldom accomplishes permanent and desired results, wherein lies the futility of war. ~ A. Philip Randolph
India and Pakistan have upgraded tensions following the terror attack of April 22 in Pahalgam.
In the recent past there have been violent attacks and violent responses between the two neighbouring nations.
But, after Pulwama nothing stopped. Attack and retaliation happened again. Lessons were not learned. The cycle of violence and war is happening again.
Instead of acting on the basis of anger and rage, it is necessary to calm ourselves down, and engage in peace seeking discussions between antagonistic parties. Peaceful engagement in the process of peace and reconciliation will go far in resolving rankling differences between Nations.
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, believed that revenge and violence are not solutions, they are counterproductive and self-destructive as they create a cycle of damage and suffering, ultimately harming everyone involved.
As we have seen in the past, all over the world, revenge and retaliation leads to a spiralling effect of violence, destruction and retribution. Gandhi always advocated peaceful methods of dialogue and reconciliation to bring about peace.
MKG also said, “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” It doesn’t take much thinking to understand that this is true too.
Revenge is like biting the dog that bit you. Violent retaliation achieves nothing. It just confirms that violence is a continuing cycle; like the game we used to play as children, trundling tyres with a stick. The tyre has to be continuously stroked with a stick by the running child to keep it rolling. Attack and retaliation is like the tyre trundling game, and both the parties at regular intervals continue stroking and stoking to keep the hostilities and the war machine going. Not because it’s an enjoyable game, but because they get caught up in the cycle of hate and don’t want the wheel of hostility to stop.
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” – Isaac Asimov
Peace should be the end game of the governments of all nations. People everywhere want to live peaceful lives. It would be the ultimate achievement of a competent government for its citizens to live in peace. War never can bring peace to its citizens.
Peace is arrived at by addressing the basic reasons for the conflict. It is lack of imagination that makes governments desire to show themselves as decisive warriors and men of action that drives them to go to war, rather than pursue peace. We must always remember governments are made of politicians who cover up their ineptness with boastful bravado.
“Our schoolbooks glorify war and conceal its horrors. They indoctrinate children with hatred. I would teach peace rather than war, love rather than hate.” – Albert Einstein
Einstein can’t be more right; war brings suffering and destruction to many. War destroyslives, human lives. It destroys infrastructure, it displaces populations, and causes economic hardship and psychological trauma to all. Explosives of war blow up families and communities, and it’s not just the environment and structures that are destroyed, spirits are crushed, communities are splintered apart, fear, animosity and hatred are instilled on both sides of the warring parties.
Whereas, peace and coexistence heal the spirit, bring together communities, and create an atmosphere of togetherness and harmony. How can one advocate war when one can promote peace!
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” – UNESCO Charter
It is clear that we are what we think we are. If we think the best way to achieve peace is through violence and war. That’s it. That’s what we are. We are stupid and mentally retarded. We cannot learn. And we will repeat the mistakes of the past with clockwork regularity.
“War will stop when we no longer praise it, or give it any attention at all. Peace will come wherever it is sincerely invited.” – Alice Walker
If we think attaining peace is worthy. And we think that we can work towards peace — we can, and we will. Then peace and peacefulness will be within reach.
Once again, I will reiterate, I will always prefer peace to war and reconciliation to retaliation.
To work for peace is to uproot war from ourselves and from the hearts of men and women. To prepare for war, to give millions of men and women the opportunity to practice killing day and night in their hearts, is to plant millions of seeds of violence, anger, frustration, and fear that will be passed on for generations to come.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh, Living Buddha, Living Christ
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Get the latest CounterCurrents updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Pratap Antony writes on ecology and environment, social justice and pluralism, management ideas and issues, jazz and western classical music and Indian classical dance.
