GANDHIAN AHIMSA IN OUR DAILY LIFE (Paramita Mukherjee Mullick)

Paramita Mukherjee Mullick

Ahimsa is respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Nonviolence is an active force of the highest order. It is soul force or power of the Godhead within us. Imperfect man cannot grasp the whole of that essence-he would not be able   to work wonders.”

Ahimsa is derived from the Sanskrit word hims. The word hims means “desirous to kill”. The prefix a-is a, negation. So, A-himsa is means literally, “lacking any desire to kill”. So ahimsa means to be without harm, to be utterly harmless, not only to oneself or others but to all living things. It is more than non-violence, more than an attitude; it is a way of life. When ahimsa extends to all living beings, it is protection of environment and nature as well. According to Gandhi, ahimsa meant non-injury, nonviolence, non-harm, the renunciation of the will to kill and to hurt any living thing, the abstention from hostile thought, word or deed, and compassion for all living creatures.

Gandhiji
(by Paramita Mukherjee Mullick)

Relations are breaking today, rampant divorces, fights between siblings, animosity between friends. Wars and quarrels are gearing their ugly heads, nations are crumbling, and the world is dividing into bits. Terrorism in the name of religion; squabbles in the name of caste and creed. It is high time Gandhian ahimsa principles are followed by the society, the nation and the world at large. The abstinence of hostile thought, word or deed and compassion for all living things is the very basic building block on which a relationship remains strong and healthy, whether it is a marital relation, a relation between siblings or friends. Not hurting others because they are different but respecting their differences. Why wars if you follow the principle of non-harm and non-injury? ”Non-violence is a weapon of the strong. Non-violence and truth are inseparable and presuppose one another. We may never be strong enough to be entirely non-violent in thought, word and deed but we must keep non-violence as our goal and make strong progress towards it”. Non- violence means peace so Gandhiji had used his thoughts and energy to bring in peace always. He had relentlessly campaigned for Indian liberation from British rule, and fought against India’s strict caste system. All the while being a strong advocate of non-violence. The UN International Day of Non-Violence is celebrated on the 2nd of October in honour of Mahatma Gandhi.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong”…this quote of Gandhi itself solves a lot of quarrels in society. If we could all forgive mere mistakes, slight wrongs or foolishness, the society would be considerably peaceful. Anger is something which makes us violent and pride or ego engulfs us and sometimes forces us to harm others. So Gandhiji had said, “Anger is the enemy of non-violence and pride is a monster that swallows it up”. Presently there are wars going on, death of hundreds and destruction, so this quote so beautifully talks against non- violence. “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man”. Ultimately Gandhiji’s sermon of love is the strongest weapon of a peaceful society and a peaceful world. He says, “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave”.

I dream of a beautiful world which will be run in the Gandhian principles of ahimsa. I end by a poem of mine which echoes the great Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts,

ONE DAY

One day all wars will cease.

All around there will be joy and peace.

One day all terrorism will stop.

No guns will boom, no bombs will be dropped.

One day all trees will bloom.

There will for everybody be room.

One day there will be love and love around.

All will be brothers and brotherhood abound.

One day there will be no poverty, no pain.

Everybody will have food and medication and happiness will reign.

One day all hatred will end. 

There will be no foes, all a friend.

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Setu, October 2022