World is burning

As the world celebrated centenary of the Total war, one wonders what is there to be celebrated? Have our leaders learnt any lessons from history? Have we stopped killing, maiming and perishing fellow humans to resolve our differences? Are our times worthy of calling peaceful times?

Even if we live in ostensibly peaceful regions, our hearts & minds remain far away from peace. Don’t our hearts cry in pain for the Syrian refugees & Chibok girls? Don’t our hopes for ‘pursuit of happiness’ get dim when people of colour in America face injustice? Did we not spent sleepless nights when nonchalant little kids were snatched away from us in Peshawar!

‘Presence of violence anywhere is absence of peace everywhere.’

And Peace is absent everywhere!

                                              

What else teaches us better the ideology of peace than teachings of Buddha. He said, "Hatred is never appeased by hatred.
Hatred is only appeased by Love.”

"One's mind finds no peace, neither enjoys pleasure or delight, nor goes to sleep, while the dart of hatred is stuck in the heart." Unfortunately we failed Buddha.

History gave us some of the best among our species to teach us the art of peace & love. They used this art invincibly against the mightiest of the weapons. They prevented nations from indulging in never ending bloody civil wars and yet won their battles each time by changing the heart of enemy. They prevented many generations from carrying the burden of hate, violence, death & devastation by forcing their opponents to submit to the power of Non Violence & Truth. The world experienced the unprecedented power of ‘Non Violence’.

They were, the Father of my nation Mahatma Gandhi, & champion of civil liberties Dr Martin Luther King.

“An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind” was Mahatma’s message to humanity. He said “There are many causes for which I am prepared to die for but no cause for which I am prepared to kill for.”

In today’s world, where a young girl is shot by extremists for merely trying to get education & people losing lives for making cartoons that are offensive for some, Gandhi’s message to humanity seems to have lost in the noise of bullets.

Writing to Hitler on December 24, 1940 Gandhi writes, “In non-violent technique, there is no such thing as defeat. It is all ‘do or die’ without killing or hurting. It can be used practically without money and obviously without the aid of science of destruction which you have brought to such perfection. It is a marvel to me that you don’t see that it is nobody’s monopoly. If not the British, some other power will certainly improve upon your method and beat you with your own weapon. You are leaving no legacy to your people of which they would feel proud.”

Neither are our world leaders leaving us a legacy to be proud of.

When the blacks were being meted out unimaginably inhumane treatment in a first world nation, Dr King declared, “The strength of cowardice is in using power to cause death and destruction for others. The strength of courage is in self-sacrifice for the benefit of all.”

Both Gandhi & Dr King instead of hating their enemies embraced them with love. If Gandhi believed in British sense of justice amidst gross injustice, Dr King refused to accept that Americans would turn their faces away from truth. They just trusted humans to behave as humans.

Today when half of the world is burning in the fire of hatred, religious animosities and diabolical acts of terror, it is for the youth of the world to join hands irrespective of all their differences and lead all, old & young, towards a future where Buddha’s message echoes in every human heart.

We can build peace when the young boys & girls of Israel & Palestine laugh & sing together.

We can build peace when young school going Nigerians don’t have to cede their dreams to hatemongers.

We can build peace when Afghans once again begin their march towards growth & development peacefully.

We can build peace when borders between India & Pakistan exist only on maps.

Only then can we build peace. Let’s be the light unto ourselves. Let’s be the lights of love and peace.

PM Modi : India _ Never more proud, hopeful & Enthused

PM Modi has brought new life to Indians' dreams to make their nation the "GOLDEN SPARROW" which it was once called in the history. We always knew that we have all the talent, brains, ideas and determination which is needed to be the Best. All we needed was a leader. And after Gandhi, Pandit Nehru..... Our 'Rockstar PM' has arrived.

The Rockstar PM

Modi Modi Modi has made evident to the world from Tokyo to New York that India is planning to do something Big. And that Big is fulfilling the dream of Bapu- The father of our Nation.

It is now the duty of all of us to join hands to contribute our bit for making our country THE LAND OF GODS again as our ancestors did when Mahatma Gandhi gave a call.

To Gandhi ji:

67 saal kar lia araam, ab Inquilab ki baari hai
Teri di Azaadi ka karz chukaane ki ab baari hai...

(We have relaxed for 67 years, Now is the time for another Revolution
The freedom that you gave us, Now is the time to make India of your dream)

FATHER OF OUR NATION

Come on India. Let us Rock & Shock the world. Jai Hind .... Vande Matram

GAZA Needs a Gandhi.

It's been over a month that the world is watching painful images of children bleeding off their amputated parts from their living rooms before switching over to another channel as those images seem too ugly to be seen during dinner time. What is the world doing? What if our children were under constant threat of being killed by rockets coming from sky anytime? What if hospitals & schools were attacked in a sinful attempt of cleansing of our whole nation?

No place to run! No place to hide! No place to sleep in peace! No place to live..... for these Palestinians kids who are in a war for some reason they don't know.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE ?

The world- the think tanks, nations, common public, social media- has divided itself into two groups. These two "Super Expert" groups keep giving their comments now & then as to who & why is Israel or Hamas responsible. But as an Indian Proverb goes," You can't clap with one hand." Both Hamas & Israel have dug their heels on ideologies which seem completely illogical reason for their efforts. The death row is about to touch 2000 with majority of them Palestinians & many among them Children, unfortunately. In the war of this geo politics, wouldn't it be more prudent for the Hamas to bow down a little bit, for it is their people who are getting killed like anything. Though they claim they are fighting their war.

How Mahatma Gandhi handled a similar war ?

Remembering India at the triumph of 20th century, one will find many small revolutionary groups which were fighting War of Resistance against a big power who had chained their nation, much similar to what Hamas says it is doing. With no(or little) money, ammunition, experience, leaders, strategy, discipline, those groups dreamed of conquering the mighty Britain which had won over most of its enemy nations of the time. Was it a possible idea to win over Britain. Gandhi had the answer to this question, it obviously was NO.

Gandhi with his unmatched intellect devised a new weapon never used by anyone in the world - NON VIOLENCE. Satyagraha was his call to awaken the soul of the enemy by resistance. He believed that Truth can shake the most stone hearted person's soul. And that was the weapon for which Britain found no reply.Never Ever!!

The numerous wars he fought using his Non Violent Satyagraha from 1920s to 1942 had completely shaken the foundations of British rule & Indians and Britons were on the same table, discussing the way forward for Independence. Though they were Rulers & Subjects.

World also saw similar movement in the Country where Gandhi first experimented his weapon. South Africa finished the inhuman Apartheid only when they had Nelson Mandela, who gave away his life following similar ideals.

Martin Luther King in his fight against racism used the same principles. So after South Africa, USA had their Gandhi. And look what ripples they created. Though the same USA keeps his lips sealed & friendship intact with Israel.
What was common in these struggles was - Non Violence.

Message for Palestine

"An eye for an eye ends up making the whole world blind". Mahatma's divine message seems true in Gaza & Hamas and Palestine should be the one which stops violence first & raise a white flag because they are on the receiving end. The only way to have a free Palestine starts after shedding guns & coming on the table. May be the world stand on the Palestinian side. Expecting from Israel will end up in the same fate, how it ended up for Jews expecting from Adolf Hitler.