“Non-violence is a power which can be wielded equally by all – children,
young men and women or grown-up people, provided they have faith in
God and have therefore equal love for all mankind. When non-violence is
accepted as the law of life, it must pervade the whole being and not be
applied to isolated acts.”
Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest apostle of peace, and non-violence in
this century. He defined his principle as Ahimsa, that is showing goodwill
and love to an antagonist while protesting.
Today, when the world is almost on the verge of a nuclear holocaust, non-
violence as a means of solving differences among civilized people is
extremely relevant. Pandit Nehru, one of the greatest disciples of Gandhi,
had admitted that he was convinced about the futility of violence in the
aftermath of war and partition of the country on the eve of independence.
We need a value-based transformation of human behavior. We need to
start with ourselves. We all carry bias and prejudice. Awareness,
questioning and critical self-reflection can help break conditioning or correct
bias learned through schooling, media and upbringing. Equipping parents,
teachers, communities, organizations and each and every individual with
skills to interact constructively and live harmoniously together, such as
empathy, active listening and non-violence.
BHAVITH BABU, Class 10 A