Revisiting Gandhi’s Philosophy: A Quest for Global Peace

Abstract

More than three dozen conflicts are presently ongoing throughout the world. Of these, six have been converted into major wars, viz.: Yemeni Civil War, Mexican Drug War, Afghanistan Conflict, Myanmar Conflict, Ethiopian Civil War and the Russia-Ukraine War. Innocent citizens of these countries, including women and children, are being brutally killed in these conflicts. War leads to disaster. And after the holocaust one tends to preserve what is left behind and creates, once again, what has been destroyed. Ultimately, the end sufferers of the war going countries are its guiltless citizens. Solution to the above-mentioned violent conflicts lies in the Gandhian philosophy based on its four major principles, viz.: satya (truth), ahimsa (non-violence), satyagraha and sarvodaya. There is little scope for greed, lie, hatred, and urge for power, violence and possessiveness in Gandhian philosophy. After all when shall man realize that he is not immortal. Man has to realize that the mentality for more than required material possessiveness is the root cause of poverty and starvation. Wealth earned throughout life cannot be carried after death. The aforesaid chaos and conflict, which the world faces today is because man is running blindly in quest for the attainment of material gains and for the acquisition of absolute power. This selfish quest for money and power attracts jealousy and hatred from all corners ultimately resulting into grievous conflicts. And, therefore, Gandhi propagated in favour of non-possessiveness and detachment from material things. The world has had enough of bloodshed for the establishment of a so called just order, i.e., based on freedom and democracy, especially after the II World War. It is high time these conflicting countries realize that peace is indivisible and so is freedom and both together co-exist and are indivisible too.