The world is so full of daily violence in one form or another that steps are being taken to make sure we stand and take note of this situation.  To mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday on the October 2^nd, 114 UN member countries have joined hands to support India’s resolution to declare Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ as a tribute to the Mahatma’s ideology.

A lot has been written about this great advocate of peace and non-violence. Every year on his birthday some kinds of events do take place to mark this occasion. Nothing else is done throughout the year. Violence continues unabated everywhere; only lip service is paid to the memory of this man.

Our Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and some members of the opposition were in New Delhi in January for an international conference on Peace, non-violence and empowerment: Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century. That conference was organised in the context of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Satyagraha movement - launched on 11th September 1906 by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa. It also coincided with the 59th anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination. Among the guests were Nobel Prize laureates, political figures and NGO leaders involved in the battle to eradicate poverty and the construction of a peaceful society.

That conference came at a very crucial time in the history of the world. Humanity is witnessing all forms of cruelty and violence. There is no dignity even in death. Corruption and violence in India itself is rampant. Mauritius, for its size of population, is also passing through a difficult time of violence despite the fact that many well-meaning people and organisations are striving hard to contain the situation. Mauritius is no stranger to the teachings of the Mahatma who set foot on our island many years ago.

Now with the adoption of an International Day of Non-violence, what do we hope to achieve? Peace overnight? No; unless every individual takes the message of peace to heart and applies it to himself in his daily activities, violence will continue to destroy our people and our planet will be in danger.

Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General’s  remark is very relevant  in this context:

“… we know that peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without partnerships involving Governments, international organizations, the business community and civil society. In today's world, we depend on each other."

We do not seem to have understood this profound statement. Douglas Roche (2003) in his introduction to The Human Right to Peace has indeed struck the nail on the head when he noted that the world is experiencing a fundamental crisis ... it is fundamentally a crisis of the human spirit; we are the point where we are capable of destroying all life on earth; but the culture of peace offers the vision of a global ethic toward life in full vibrancy.

Vina Ballgobin (Mauritius Times, June 8, 07) pointed out that Gandhi est admiré dans le monde entier pour ses principes de protestation non-violente pour atteindre le progrès politique et social. World admiration is not the solution ;but world application is.

Should we give up ?

 What are our countrymen and women doing to ensure we get rid of conflicts and violence on the island?  To cut down, if not eradicate completely, the degrading situation on the island. We have reached a dead end; a point of despair. Should we give up? Gandhi himself said: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they may seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it — always.”

“Our country (USA) has the greatest gap between rich and poor of any industrialized nation, and the gap is increasing. At the same time, the government keeps increasing the taxes on the poor and middle class, exempting the rich and corporations, downsizing social programs and putting what little social assistance remains into the military. Then people are forced into the armed forces to kill and die defending the very system that is oppressing them,” observed Simon Harak of the War Resisters League October 2, 2003.

 Now we look to the UM members to declare Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ as a tribute to the Mahatma’s ideology. Will this restore peace in our society, among members of the community?  DO those who rule our nation have full intention of representing the people? They are fighting a losing battle; they are asking the citizens to change their violent behaviour without ever changing their own. In Gandhi's own words, we must "first become the change we wish to see in the world."

Regular marching for peace, visits by foreign experts to advise our people how to live in harmony, heads of religious bodies meet to talk of peace restoration—all these are not delivering the goods, because, all those concerned are not being involved in the process. The real people are not being heard; they feel crushed in many ways. Therefore, they seize every opportunity to create havoc in one form or another to the detriments of society in general. Whether these disturbances are organized or caused by oppressed or disgruntled individuals or groups, the end result is violence that causes an imbalance in the general health of the nation.

Unless we all make the necessary sacrifice and change our outlook, Mauritius will not thrive as a nation. There is no need for some of us to think  we are better off than others; this will not make an iota of difference to the state of the country as a whole. Songs and dance for one day as we do to mark our Independence Day evey year is only a sham; it does not achieve anything to reduce violence and discontent; having an International day of non-violence to the memory of  a man of Peace is only to add insult  to the  Mahatma .

We must first live in greater solidarity with the poor and those deprived of their rights, forming communities that share time, treasure, and talent. All forms of violence are a crime against humanity. We must advocate the Gandhian philosophy of non- violence. Gandhi believed if one is not able to understand one's self, how one can understand the philosophy of life.

Arun Gandhi wrote: “Mohandas K. Gandhi was convinced much of the violence in society and in our personal lives stems from the passive violence that we commit against each other. He described these acts of passive violence as the "Seven Blunders" to which he adds an eighth one: Arun discusses each one of these in the present world contexts for our benefit.  But do we pay any attention to these at all?

Wealth Without Work
Pleasure Without Conscience
Knowledge Without Character
Commerce Without Morality
Science Without Humanity
Worship Without Sacrifice
Politics Without Principles
Rights Without Responsibilities

We create power groups to lobby for our cause and are willing to do anything to achieve our goal. Not many among human kind have learned how to resist temptation, so who is to blame for the mess we find ourselves in? Can we build a healthy and viable democracy on double standards? Rights without Responsibilities: We are generally willing to do anything to safeguard our rights but not much to shoulder our responsibilities towards creating a peaceful, harmonious, and understanding society. We believe that our only responsibility in a democracy is to cast our vote once in four or five years, but for a democracy to be healthy and honest, we need to do much more. Every individual from families to politicians in governments or in oppositions have a duty to ensure these Gandhian principles are observed and practised in every situation. This is the best way to respect the memory of this man who preached and practised non-violence in all his dealings with the world. Only then an International Day of Non-violence will have relevance to anyone.

David.lingiah@ntlworld.com