UNIT 27 GANDHBSM AND PACIFISM

Structure

27.1 Introduction

27.2 Gandhis~n

27.3 Pacifism

27.3.1 Nan-violence and Power

27.3.2 Bel ievers vs. Pacifists

27.3.3 The Non-Violent Society

27.3.4 The Government

27.3.5 Tlie Power of Non-Violence

27.3.6 Tlie Tecllniqi~e of Non-violent Action

27.4 Tlie Relevance of Pacifisni

27.5 Summary I I 27.6 Exercises 1 27.1 INTRODUCTION

7'1iis century has witnessed two world wars and scveral wars between countries. wliich brouglit in iintold miseries. Science and teclinology have produced solutions to some of tlie dreaded diseases, but they have also developed a nuclear arserial witti deadly ramifications. The world I

is slirunlc in size and is fast emerging as n global village. However, the world is swept by tlic winds of violence. Illspite of n~odefnity and advancement towards material gain and cconomic gains, peace and happiness have eluded mankind.

t B 1 t i

How can conflict be resolved and order established ifthe authorities protecting interests of'all are themselves l~risoners of"sel.f-intel-est'? This was tlie dilemma faced by Maliatma Gandhi. l-ie introduced ethics in politics and made self-realization [lie purpose of life disapproving of the pursuit of 'self-interest' for worldly riches and pleasures. Tlie Gandhian message orTr~lth and Non-violence seems to be tlic only hope and liglit i n tliese dark days. The 'soul-force' wlie~i awalcened is capable of burning all impurities, whetliel- political, economic or social. Pacifism is the o111y solution f i r tlie s~lrvival of Iiu~nanity.

27.2 GANDHBSM I,

Maliatma Gaudhi is a religioiis Iiumanist. For tlie attain~iient of Swaraj, he has worltetl out cel-tain principles that are woven into political pliilosopliy by others. Thesc principles of Gandhi are known as Gandliism. Gandhi had neither tlie tinle nor tlie paiience to Sor~nulate any 'tlieory' i

wit11 the result what we have today is a collection of speeches, articles and other writings, which are not 'tlieory', but, at best, the background fora sound theory. Here are three different paragraphs from Gandlii"~ writings wliich give 11s an insight into Iiis thouglit:

I C I I ~ ~ IIO/ CI vi.~io11~1:1:. I c ~ c I ~ I ~ ~ /O O C ~ I ' N C ~ ~ C C I ~ ide~li.sf. The reli<gion qf'non-vio fence i . ~ nof uicunt n?e~.e(l:Jol. ll?e i.isl7i.r L I M C L ' S ~ I ~ Y I I S . 11 is 117er1nl,fi)r J I ~ C co111!~;,;:/~)eo~~le m ~ ~ c l l . Non-violence is lhc i

I C I M ~ ~ / ' O L I I " ~1~ecie.s CIS violence is the I N M , c!f'l/-re bi-zlte. The spirit lies dortnanf in the brute und i7e knuua no lalv hi// thtr/ of~hy.eiccr1 mighl. The dignity cjf'tnan requires obedience to a higher ~LIW-lo 117e .slrengf/r (?/'1/7e .spi/*it.

I huve, /ker.q/i)re, \~~ti111/.eiI lopkic~' bqfifilre In~li~l the inicient Iuw c!f:selfls.ucr(f?ce. For Sntyagrc~ha trriti its uffs/ioo/.r., t101i-co r)peia~/tiol7 ~117~1 civil ~ C . S ~ S I L I ~ ~ C L ' , are nolhing bzrt new nutncs for the 1 ~ 1 ~ 1 (?fs~!~'fL;rit~g. T/xl ~'i.s/?i.s, ~vho discovered llrc 1n\i1 qfwon-violence in /he inidst of violence, ~1el.e 'qrelilet- ~~c17il l .s~)~ [ / l ~ l r l ~e11~Iori. rlliicj) \llei.c I ~ C M ? S ~ / V ~ S gi8ecltel. ~larriors tha17 Wellingtoii. HC~vii~g 1l7ct11.selvc.s krio~i~ri //I(: 1i.c.e ( ~ f ' i l ~ ' r i ~ . s , 111e)- I 'CCI I~ZCC/ 111eir LIS~~L'.S.S~C.Y.S ~ n d icrzrghr a we6n.y ~vorltl [hot i1.s .srrl\w/iori no1 tlrr.ougl7 viol~~iice, 11111 1liroz1gI~ t~on-violence.

A+ mcrl.l.ii~gc to no/r-~liolctic'e is szlch rm rrh.solrr&e (11ir1g- t h ~ ~ t I ~1011/d rcllher commit suicide thtrn he (/c;fZec'/eu', ji-OIII l i~y j)o.';l/~oti. L)evotiot7 1 0 ~r-i/lh h(i.s lee/ r?~c to arrive at ccrtuili ethical ~1ri17~i~~lc.s to ,y~ii(/e I I L I I I I L I I ~ A C ~ C I V I O ~ , i17 itrt/ivic/11~1 (1.s 11'eIl CIS i/2 C O ~ I ~ C I ~ V C lijk. A seeker of r~.rl/h rr~rtsl lecrd I!/> crccor.tliri~; to flicsc ~'thiccrl princil11e.s ii? 01-tier l o prcprrrc hin7.for the path (!/'tt.1/117. T / I L J S ~ I I ~ ~ I I ~ * ~ ~ ) ~ C ~ . S I ~ ~ L I S I ( / / S O SCI-vc (is 1 1 7 i ~ hcc/i"~ck.fi)t- [he .soci~~l, 1~01itical r r ~ ~ i e ~ o i 7 v n z i ~ ,rt~.llctLlrc.s io cr-tale ( I .~ocie(v hclset? on 11.~rtl1. A// orrr' crclions ([re to he jziclgcrd in the light of' these l)i-il~ci'~Ie.s. Tlie ~r~o~*ldpro\]i~/e .~ us crti ol)l)oi+fzltiil)) fo cippl)~ fhe.se yl.incip1e.s oj'trzllh, test oz,r:seh~cs rrnd ozn. 1ci~~/e1:~1r1r7~/itig of' tri1111. i'eligio~l.~ ~ I - N C ~ ~ C C of. these elhiker1 principles Ie(11Ls 11s lo t/ie pi~l'~/icit~io~l o f ' fhq ' ~ ~ 3 l f " 1 1 ~ y 11y C J C ~ ~1n~J~fii7e1lly results ill the re(rliz~r~ion qf rlh.solu/c I I . L / I ~ . Ethic-.s i.s 111u.s n 111(<11 1 0 God

Hnmnnity is passing tlirai!gh n philse of'cr(sls.,Cindlii h;ls dcnicd using ally 'ism'. but his pri~iciplcs hiive the soluiions of'world being 1':lced by humn~+iity. Gandhi libs ari

= .\ alter~iative to tlic L ~ ~ L I 11 11s well ilS tlic icleology. 'l'he dc\lrlopment of tlie ideas of Gandhi al'ter hi111 and their application bcco~iie important as h solution orientccl ~ncclianism to save humanity. 'l'here is an enoniious tnsli before LIS.

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27.3 PACIFISM

'I'he clictionary rncnning or'tlre term 'pacifism' mcnns a beliefthat all war. is nora ally wrong and that dispittcs sliou Id bc settlcd by ~)e:icclitl means. 'She ctliical pri~iciplcs oi'GandIii itdliere to this concept. Politics, in lie Iinnds of'greedy and po\ver-l~u~?gry people, has bcco~iie an instru~iient ol'crinie, con~~ption a~id terrorization. Criminalisntio~i of politics has milde a slin~ii oTdcmoclncy. The \vorld is quite disillusioriecl by the worlting ofthe strilctitrcs of violence, both capitalism and conimunisni. 1li11iia1-1 society I I I L I S ~ aholish war if it is to survive. We are in a ncw era. The old mctliods and sululions are 110 longer cnoi~gli. Wc tlii~st have new thoughts, new ideas, and new COIICCPLS. We should now proclaim our readiness to abolislz war, The reb~~lt woiild be magical. 'Tht: only altcrnative is pcnce-power or non-violent resistance.

Chndl i i also consiclcrs modprn sc i c~~cc and tcclinology to be irsponsible for mindless viglence in today's world. WhctIier\it ib i l l tlic f'orni ol'arnis and arnn~unitiu~is or subordini~tion of Iiurnun bcings to technology, in fi~ct it is modern science that is responsible I'or a rise in Jiis

i ~)lienornenon. Ancl tlic cnd-r~\sull ofrtll these is the creation of a violent social order,

27.3.1 Non-violence auld Power

Gancllii has nrrivcd ill tlic principles ol'purc love as :\ means to realize God, tlie absol~tte truth. Obscrvalice of'tlic law of love is non-violence in rclu~ionsliips. Non-violence is tlie means and

t r i~tlr is the end. Non-violent methods are considered as instrunients of power, to be used to control the opponent's power. Non-violent actions cut offthe sources ofthe opponent's power. Where non-violcnt coercion operates, clianges are achieved against the opponent's will and wi t l io~~l liis agreement, tlie soilrces of his power having been so undercut by non-violent means that he no longer has control. This decrease in the power ofthe opponent gives the non- violelit coercionists tlie momentum and strength tliey need to continue their campaign.

Non-violence is a ~niglity weapon to overcolne evil, even as infinite fraction o f which is capable o f doing wonders. It is tlie greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier tlian the mightiest weapon of destn~ction devised by man. it awakens the soul-force in man through self-purification and discipline that is capable of overco~ning any kind of brute force. Non-violelice is not siinp[y a passive state; it is an active engagement in every field of life due to the dynamic and creative iorce of love. It is a ceaseless occupation with constructive work in every field of individual and collective life whether religious, social, econoli~ic and political. 11 is action tliat is non-violent. This view of non-violent action as a technique o f active combat is dia~iierrically opposed to tlie pop~ilar ass~~nipt io~i that, at its strongest, noti-violent action relies on rational pl.esumption of the opponents, arid that more comn~only it corisists sinipfy of passive submission. Therefore, non-violence means power, as non-violent action is just what it says: action, whicli is not violent, but not inaction. 'Thus, altlio~lgh lion-violence may be used as a weapon, it is not a sign of submissio~i or weakness.

27.3.2 Believers vs. Pacifists

The believer in non-violence shares with Inany others the goal of a decent, j ~ l s t and equitable society. He wants to see an end to injustice, tyranny, corruption, and the exploitation of men by men. Wit11 otliers, lie is deeply concerned to establish peace in tlie world, but not a peace purcliased at any price. He kliows tliat the only peace that can endure and be worthy of the name is based on justice.

Among those who thinlc o f themselves as believers i n non-violence, there are diverse points of view. Some use non-violence only as a technique which tnight be discarded under other circumstances; some Iiold to non-violence as a matter of principle, and for some it is a11 essential part of their religious faith.

i ) Passive rcsistance: Passive resistance is lilcely to be defensive in both its tactics and its strategy, and to involve fornis of non-co-operation that embarrass rather than coerce. It means directly altering one's own beliaviour, but not directly itiipeding that ofthe opponent. If non-resistance "goes along with" tlie opponent, absorbing tlie latter's aggression and offering no co~interaction, passive resistance is a way tliat refuses to go along witli the opponent, b ~ l t chooses roules of action which tactically disengage the resister fro111 the direct point of conflict. It may oveldy acq~~iescc to the opponent's terms, but its strategic effect is to so change tlie terms ofconflict that tlie opponent, for his own reasons and not beca~rse of any overt i~npediment, is led to initiate change. 'The boycott o r withdrawal of patronage, tlie walkout aspect of a strike-these are types of passive resistance. 111 these actions, the resister si~iiply removes himself from eiigagernent with his opponent at the point where the opponent relies LIPOII the resister's reciprocal action to co~nplete his own action. A factory cannot produce goods witlioi~t tlie action of its workers. I f tliey cease their productive action, tlie managenient of tlie factory is deprived of an indispensable clenient in i11e process 01' prodi~ctioti. If bus riders passively refi~se to ride buses, tlie

buses will go e~ilpty and tlie bus co~iipany's revenues will be ci~rtailed in proporlio~~ to the efl'ccti\~eness oi'tlie boycott. The next step is LIP to the factory or the bus company, which must eitlicr. come LO tcrnis with the resisters or replace them or- force them to come back. U i ~ t it I I ~ L I S ~ do sornetliing to regain control of tlie situation.

i i ) Satyi~grillin: The ob.jective ofsatyagralia is the constn~ctive transforming of relatiot~ships in a nianncr which not o~lly effect a change of policy, but also assures the restructuring of tlie situation \vIiich led to conflict ?'his calls for a lnoditicatio~~ of attitudes and recluires f~~ltillmcnt of tlic signiIic;~nt needs ol'all partics originally in conflict. 'I'he fulfilling of needs is both :ui ol?jectivt: and a nicans Sor et'kcti~~g fundan~cntal change.

27.3.3 The Wan-Violent Society

Gandlii says that non-violence is not merely a pcrsonal virtue. It is also a social virtue to be cultivated lilie tlic otliel. virtues. Surely, society is largely regulated by the expl-ession ol'nbn- violence in its mutual dealing\. What I ask Sol- is an extension of' i t 011 a larger, national and inlernational scale. All society is held together by non-\riolencc, even as the earth is held in her position by grnvitalion. Bill wlicn tl'tc law ol'gravitation was discovcred, tlie discovery yielded results ol'wliicl~ o i ~ r a~iccstoss had no knowledge. Even so, when society is deliberntely c o n s ~ r ~ ~ c t ~ d in accorciancc with tlic law of'non-violence, its structure will be diffkerent in material parliculars li-om \vh:tt i t is today. But 1 cannot say in advance what the govern~nent based on nun-violence will bc lilie.

I

What is happening tocSay is disregard oftlie Ia\v ot'nori-violcnce and enthronement ofviolence as i f ' it were an eternal law. A society based on non-violence can only consist ofgroups settled in villages in which vo1~1nt;lry C O - C ) P C ~ ~ I ~ ~ O I I is the condition of dignilied and peaculirl existe~~cc.

27.3.4 The Government

Gandhi presents tlic nature of governnIet1t as st~ch:

The Govcr'tin?c17/ ctmnol succectl in be~o117i17,q ~'~ili l 'clj~ noit-violenf, beccrtcsc it r'eI)re.sents all the people. 1 (to i i o~ i o ~ k y c.o~~ceh?c of such n ,yollkii ~rge, Ozrf I do belicliw h7 tire po.ssihiliiy of [ I pr.edomi17cr11/1)1) 11or7-l)io/cni .socicly, And I cr~ir ir~or,kit~g,fi)/. il. T1ier.c rem~rir~s the qzlestiur~ CIS

/o \vhe1/1~1- 117 trn ilke(il .soci~'!)~ IIWI+C ~Iioi~/c/ AC C I L ~ ~ 0 1 - 170 ,q017er4n111cnr. 1 do nol think rile need 1sol"1:1) o~i~:sclvc.s ohollf 111i.s trl i/ic nluiiroll. If'li~c ~~)n l inuc lo ~~*ot.k.fi,i- szich N sociely, it 1vil1 sloizlly conic i17/o I I C ~ ~ I ~ 10 (117 C S I C I I I , .s1rc/1 / / T C I ~ /kc I J ~ O ~ I C C ' C I I ~ hc17qfit 1 7 ~ 1 il. Ezrcli~l :Y line is one 11!il11oz1t / I I . c ( IL / /~ , hli/ 1 1 0 O I I C I I C I . ~ ,so,fi/~' /lee17 ( I ~ ~ L J /o C ~ I ' I I C I ~ il (117d iGver )tiill. All [he scrme, it is o1i()l by keeping /hc itlcnl li17c1 i17 niir~d lhcit 111c ~ C I I ~ C 1 1 7 1 1 ~ 1 ~ / ) I ' O ~ ~ ~ S S i17 S L ' O I I I ~ / ~ ' J J , W ~ C ~ I i.s 11'21e here i.s //'zit ( j / L'I'CI:)~ i(leui.

In the ubsclice uSan idci~l Rlrnr~.c!jj)n, \vhicli Gandhi sets out to achieve, lic encourages us to realize 1 Iiat l.he seco~rd besl lbr~ii ofgovelnnient would be s i~c l~ , that is basecl on the priliciples ol'~ion-violence.

27.3.5 The Power of Non-Violence

Non-violencc i l l its dynn~nic condition m c a ~ ~ s cot~scioi~s suffering, It does tiot niean riieek subuiission to the will 01'the evildoel-, l~ut it means tlie pitting of'onc's whole against the will ofthe tyl.unt. Workirig i~ncler this law ofout- being, it is possible for a single i~iclividual to defy

tlie wliole might ol'an unjust cnipire to save liis honour, liis religion, liis soul and lay the foundation for that empire's fall or its regeneratio~i.

Active Force

The no~i-violence of'GandIii's conception is a Inore active and Inore of a real fighting against wicked~iess t1ia11 retaliation wliose very nature is to increasc wickedness. He contemplates a mental and. tlierefore. a ~iioral opposition to immoralities. He seeks entirely to blunt the edge of tlie tyrant's sword, not by putting LIP against i t asliarper-cclged weapoti, but by disappointing liis expectation that he would be facing physical resistance. It would at first dazzle him, and at last compel recognitio~i fi'oni Iiim, ~vliicli recognition woi~ld not humiliate Iiinl but would uplift Iiim, It nlay be urged tliat this again is all ideal state. A~id so it is.

Gandlii says that lie admits tliat tlie strong will rob tlie weak atid tliat it is a sin Lo be weak. But this is said of tlie sol11 in man, not of the body. If'il were saicl ofllie body, we coi~ld never be free from the sin of weakness. But ttie strength of tlie soul can defy a whole world in arms against it. 'rliis strength is open to the weakest in body.

Non-violence is tile greatest force at tlie disposal of manl<ind. It is miglitier than the mightiest weapon of' destri~ction devised by tlie ingenuity of man. Destri~ction is not the law of tlie humans. Man lives freely by his readiness to die, if need be, at the hands of liis brother, never by IciIIing him. Every niurcicr orotlier i~iji~ry, 110 matter lor what causes, co~nniitted or inflicted on another is a csimc against Iiunianity.

Non-violence is like radium in its action. An intinilesinial quantityof it embeddcd in a malignant growth which acts contini~o~~sly, silently and ceaselessly till i t Iias transfonned tlie whole niass ofthe diseased tissuu into a Iiealthy one. Similarly, even n little oft!-ue non-viplencc acts i l l a silenr, subtle, unseen \v:ly and i~plifis tlie whole socicty.

Matchless Bravery

An armed soldier I-dies on his weapons l'ol. liis stl-engtli. 'rake away fsom Iiini his I W C ~ ~ O I I S -

Iiis gun or his sword, and he generally beconies lielpless. But a person who lias t r ~ ~ l y realized the principle of lion-violence has tlie God-given strength for his weapon and the world lias not Icnown nnyl.liing thal can match it. A s111alI body ofdetermined spirits fired by an u~~~queticliable fai t l i in theil- ~iiission can alter tlie course or history. Non-violence of tlie strong is any dpy stronger tlia~i tliat of tlie bsavcst soldier fi~lly aniied.

Exercise in Faith

Thc I~;~rc!csl metal yields to suficicnt heat. So, cven the liardest heart 11ii1st ~iiebt bel'ore \lie lieat of non-violence. Antl there is no lirnit to the capacity of'non-violence to generatc lidat. Evelay action is a resultant of a multitude of forces, even of a contrary nature, There is no \vnslc ofencrgy. So we Icarn i n tile books on mechanics. 'This is equally true ofhilman actions. TIie tlifi'erence is that in one case, we gonerally know the forces at work, and when we do, we can mathematically fore.tell the resulta~it. In the case of Iiuman actions, they (.esi~lt fro111 a concu~.~-ence ofl'orccs. most of wliich we have 110 lknowledgc of. Ru t our ignora~ice 111ust not bc nincle to scrye tile cause ol'disbeliel'in the power of these fbrccs. And ~~o~~-vi 'o lence being tlic mightiest d ~ r c r in rhc world and also the inust elusive in ils working. it de~nalids the

greatest exercise offaith. Even as we believe in God out of faith, so we have to believe in non- violence as a matter of faith.

Violence like water, when it has an outlet, rushes forward furiously witli an overwhelming force. Non-violence cannot act madly. It is the essence of discipl ine. But, when it is set going, no amount of violence can crush it. For its f ~ ~ l l play, it requil-es ullsullied purity and an unquenchable faith.

A Science

Ahinzsa is a science. The word 'failure' has 110 place in the vocabulary of science. Failure to obtain the expected result is often the precursor to fu~ther discoveries. If the function of himsn is to devour all it comes across, the f~unclion of nhimsn is to rush into the lnoulli of hBzsa. In an atmosphere of ahimsa, one has no scope to put his ahinzsa to the test. It can be tested only in the face of himsu.

Violence car1 only be eiTectively net by non-violence. This is an old, established truth that the weapon of violence, even if it was the atom bomb, became useless when matched against non-violence. That very few undel-stand how to wield this mighty weapon is true. It requires a lot of understanding and strength oT mind. It is unlike what is needed in military schools and colleges. The difficulty one experiences in meeting hill?sn with rrliin~scr arises from the wealc~~ess of mind.

The Deed, not Doer

'Hate the sin and not the sinner' is a precept which, thortgh easy enough to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the world. This ahimsu is the basis of the search for truth. I am realizing every day that thc search is vain, unless it is founded on uhirnsa as the basis. It is quite proper to resist and attack a system, but to resist and attack its author is tantamount to resisting and attacking oneself. For we are all tarred with the same bri~sh, and are children of one and the satme creator, and as such, the divine powers within LIS are inlinite. To sligl~t a single human being is to slight those divinc powers, ancl thus to harm not only that being, but with him the whole world.

Man and his deed are two distinct things. Whereas a good deed should call forth approbation and a wicked deed disapprobation, the doer of the deed, whetl~er good or wicked, always deserves respect or pity as the case may be.

Those who seek to destsoy Inen rather than manners adopt the latter, and become worse than those whom they destroy in the mistaken beliefthat manners will die with the men. They do not Itnow the root of the evil.

It is the acid test of non-violence that in a non-violent conflict, there is no rancour left behind, and in the end the enemies are converted into friends. That was my experience in So~lth Africa, witli General Smuts. He started with being my bitterest opponent and critic. Today, he' is my wannest friend. 1

The principaliin~pJication of rrhimsa is that the ahin~sa in LIS 0~1gl1t to soften and not to stiffen our opponent's athtude to us; it ought to melt him; it ought to strike a responsive chord in his heart.

As ahinua-ites, can you say that you practice genuine crhinwu? Can you say that yo11 receive the arrows of the opponent ori your bare breasts without returning them? Cali you say that you are not angry, that you are not perturbed by his criticism?

By reason of a life-long practice of uhirnsu, Gandhi clai~ns to be an expert in it, though very imperfect. Speaking i n absolute terms, he says, "the more I practice it, the clearer I see how far I am from the full expressiol1 ofahimsrr in my life." Apart fiom the pl~ilosophical justification for ahimsa in terrns of the relativityoftruth, there is also an ethical and moral basis for it, which Gwdhi puts in terms ofends-means relationsliip. In his words, h i t s ofa tree will depend on what type of seed has been sown.

27.3.6 TheTechnique of Non-violent Action -- -

Non-violent action is a technique of conducting protest, resistance, and interventions without pllysical violence by: (a) acts of omissions-that is the participants' refi~sal to pesfortn acts which they usually perform, are expected by custom to pzrfosni, or are req~~ired by law and regulation to perform; or (b) acts ofcon~mission-that is, the participants perform acts which they ~lsually do not perfonn, are not expected by CUS~OIII to perform; or (c) a combination of both.

The techniclue includes a ~ni~ltitude ofspecific nietl1ods which are grouped into three main classes: non-violent protest and persuasioli (symbolic actions com~nunicating opinions, such as parades and leafleting); non-cooperation (withholding ofsocial, economic or political cooperation, as by social boycotts, economic boycotts, labour strikes, or political non-cooperation and disobedience); and non-violent intervention (physical, psychological, social, econoniic and political actions that disrupt the operation ofthe system being opposed).

Althoilgh Gandhi is not tlie originator of non-violent struggle, lie is a major historical player in its refinement and development. Gandlli also recognizes the inlportance of strategy-skillful~~ess in tlie choice and use of means and methods to increase the possibilities of success in non-violent struggle. He has contributed significantly to the refinement of strategy and the practice ufcarefi~l strategic planning for this type of conflict. tle lias brought grea~ly increased strategic sophistication to the technique.

He charted ways in which people-both intellectuals and tile masses-who did not share his full beliefs could join in non-violent struggles and could become enlpowered. He challenged the most powerfill and vast en~pire the world had ever seen and won.

As per Gandhi's lessons for us to overcome n~~iltiple conflicts, the followirig ideas are important:

e .rustice and freedom require empowering oppressed people and redistributing power in society.

e Peace is not achieved by stifling conflicts in \vhich iliiportant iss~les are at stake, but by using non-violet~t struggle to tight those conflicts to the point of resolution.

Mass non-violent struggle in politics is possible as a substitute for both passivity and violence.

e Masses of people who will never accept non-violence as a moral principal will at tilnes practice pragmatic non-violent struggle.

e The key to widespread adoption of non-violent rneans lies in for~nulating and implenienting strategies of non-violent struggle to serve a s substitute for violence for specific purposes.

e Non-violent stri~ggles can be made significantly more effective if wise strategies with implementing tactics are developed and applied.

e Non-violent struggles can be developed, refined, adapted in a series of specific replacements to be a substitute for violence as a final means of applying pressure and power in society and politics.

27.4 THE RELEVANCE OF PACIFISM

Gandhi, wlio is I ~ L I C I I more realistic than some would give lii~n credit for, knows that si~ch a reversal woilld not and cannot bsing illto being some kind of instant utopia. Unlike some revolutionary programmers, non-violence is not a program Tor ending every human limitation and every human imperfection. In contrast to some revolutionary creeds, non-violence does not justify crime today for the sake of a perfect tomorrow. At one level, non-violence is a transcendent ideal, that is, a higher order goal that we may approach asymptotically, but never completely attain. At another level, non-violence i ia process, a way of life, an alternative approach to dealing with conflict. As such, it recognizes tlie inevitability of conflict, even in the best ol.'all possible worlds, and the inevitability of liuman error, human egoism, and liulnan slIortsightedncss. Non-violence is a means for limiting the damage those imperfect human beings will otherwise inflict on each other and on t11e world we inhabit. In sum, non-violence is both an ideal vision, which can guide us in the transforniation of human life and a means by which human beings can live together inspite of deep-rooted limitations. Non-violence is a pi~rsilit. Gandhi calls it a p ~ ~ r s i ~ i t oftn~tli. It reaches towards what is n~ost sublin~e, but its roots are in a sober recognition of human vulnerability, Iiiinian ignorance, and human self- centeredness.

In short, to adopt non-violerice is to adopt n new way of coming to t e r m wit11 our vulnerability, a lnew way of dealing with the fear to whic11 we are subject and the fear, which we can inspire in others. To enter this way is not to beco~ne 'defenseless'. I t is to reconceive wliat we mean by defense, what we consides it most urgent to defend, and all means by which we will engage in defense. WIien pacifisn~ becomes a pri~iiary value, we are compelled to seek new ways to carry on and to solve conflicts, new ways to protect wl~at is most important, and new ways to struggle for tlie recognition of our rights.

Pacifism, non-violence, non-injury, or aliirnsa- as Gandhi tenns it- are all words indicating what we nus st avoid in our social and political relationships, if we are to build a global co~nniunity. The avoidance of the infliction of i~iji~ry, however, is not merely a negative achievement in spite of the negative prelix, The way of pacifism is a new way of being which

iniparts a new strength to those who enter it. Pacifism offers a new way of dealing with fear, anxiety, and danger.

27.6 EXERCISES

I ) For whom is the religio~i of non-violence nieant?

2) How can tlie purification of 'self be achieved?

3) What is tlie ~lleal~ing of 'passive resistance'?

4) What is tlie objective of 'satyagraha'?