Sad end to nonviolence

NAFHA MAANI EBRAHIMI

Mahatma Gandi was an advocate of ending conflict by non-violent means. But, the current state of the world seems to take the violence for violence course.
There are people we look up to, others inspire us, and there are people such as Mr Mohandas Karamchand, better known as, Mahatma Gandhi. Like so many others, I have a deep affection and admiration for what this man represents and the legacy he left behind.
There were many events and struggles in Gandhi’s life, the one I relate to is his nonviolent movement that eventually helped his country to gain independence. In such a violent world where survival seems to be for the one with a bigger army, this small-built lawyer became a giant, his peaceful resistance brought his Goliath adversaries on their knees.

In Gandhi’s house
I was in Mumbai a few years ago, on top of my list of places of interest was Mani Bhavan, the house where Mahatma Gandhi lived for some years. Apart from one room that was closed off by clear glass, the rest of the house was a full-fledged museum with the Mahatma’s sculpture and portraits, and book laden shelves. The place was buzzing with tourists and guides speaking different languages, taking them through every corner, explaining about every item on display, along with some interesting stories of his life. We went around unguided, just happy to take selfies with his life size portrait, reading his quotes, especially those related to women rights.

His sad end
Once reality hit me, that the same peace loving, nonviolent man was assassinated by the bullets of a violent man. His journey caused ripples of change across continents, came to a sudden halt, a sad end but still rendered him a hero, standing with firm feet on the domain of peace and coexistence. With all the current violence and hatred, are we betraying the hard work done by Gandhi and others who walked the same path? People seem not to learn much from history, and that’s why it keeps repeating itself.

Day to mark peace
Gandhi was living proof that peace could be achieved without violence. October 2, 2019, marked 150 years since the birth of Gandhi, and in June 2007, a resolution was voted by the United Nations to observe this date as the International Day of Nonviolence.