HG on War and Peace

 Occasional Jottings

HG on War and Peace

The world has been witness to several theatres of conflict in one form or the other over thousands of years.

Conflict is as old as Creation itself.  Stars collide, planets collide, meteors hit planets; stars explode, Black Hole devours.  Time itself may have been originated by such a conflict of phenomenal proportions. 

Creation corrects itself through conflicts.  Civilisation corrects itself through conflicts. This has been codified in the shloka from Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 4, Verse 8):

"Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṃ, vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām | 

Dharma-saṃsthāpanārthāya, sambhavāmi yuge yuge"

("To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of dharma, I appear millennium after millennium.") 

However, we believe this is the last resort  - to protect dharma. 

Our ancient scriptures have given equal importance to Shastra and Sastra.  Shastra endows us with assimilatory qualities.  Sastra empowers us to protect dharma. 

Our ancient scriptures have taught us the sacred traits of peace, acceptance, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.  For only through these paths that everlasting peace can be achieved. 

Men have waged wars throughout the course of history - sometimes to protect their land, sometimes over religion, over trade and commerce, over resource competition, sometimes to protect their civilisation, sometimes over social and cultural factors, sometimes over ethnicity, sometimes over identity while at other times to simply invade and subjugate, over nationalism, imperialism, and militarism, ideological conflict and so on. 

Some wars have been instrumental in altering humanity’s trajectory of progress in a manner that if unchecked it stands the risk of annihilation.  Nuclear power could have turned out to be a boon for mankind if used prudently.  The Atom Bomb was the offshoot of belligerence that can wipeout humanity itself.  Distrust and ideological conflict have driven us towards a precipice and many see the other in disdain seeking to dominate by force.  Distrust among Nations have led to arms race, nuclear race, race to dominate space; where a nation aspires to go nuclear although it might not be able to eliminate hunger and malnutrition of its people or ensure education and safety for all. 

Wars and conflicts have never achieved abiding peace.  No conflict – whether celestial or terrestrial – has been able to ensure and maintain a zero-conflict situation. 

While we have no power over the celestial forces, we should ponder over terrestrial forces that have caused terrible wars inflicting untold misery on innocent people, for interests that they, oftentimes cannot relate to or understand.  

Wars are thus complex and multifaceted phenomena with various causes but one result – destruction.  Loss of life, injury, and displacement of people; destruction of infrastructure, loss of productivity, and economic instability; damage to ecosystems, pollution, and long-term environmental consequences are some of the dreadful ramifications of war.   The cost of war cannot be measured only in terms of lives lost, but also in the destruction of hope and dreams. 

Efforts of countries, united in their mission to prevent war did converge in the creation of the United Nations.  However, as the progress of time shows, it has not been able to deliver the desired results. 

As Mahatma Gandhi had said, "True peace is built on the foundations of forgiveness and reconciliation”.   All nations must realise these salient qualities of civilisational progress. 

Jimmy Carter had famously said : "Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war". 

Various Peace Committees, over the decades, have suggested certain steps to end war.  These include - promoting continuous peace talks between conflicting parties; encouraging third-party mediation or arbitration by neutral countries or UN agencies; setting up of international peace conferences and ceasefire negotiations, Strengthening International Institutions, Empower and reform the United Nations Security Council to act swiftly and fairly, Strengthen International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold war criminals accountable; Arms Control and Disarmament, Promote treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW); enforce arms embargoes in volatile regions; addressing Root Causes of Conflict such as poverty, inequality, and resource scarcity, education, sustainable development and climate action, empowering women and including them in all areas of functioning of the State. 

One of the significant commissions to guide humanity towards sustainable peace has been The Willy Brandt Commission (1977-1983), formally known as the Independent Commission on International Development Issues.  The Commission had profound implications for global peace, cooperation, and equitable development. 

Willy Brandt was the Chancellor of West Germany (1969–1974) and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1971).  He was a staunch advocate of peace, disarmament, human rights, and global cooperation. The commission brought forth reports that include 

1. “North–South: A Programme for Survival” (1980)

2. “Common Crisis” (1983)

The Commission strongly emphasized:

Reducing the divide between Global North and Global South

Global cooperation in solving economic and humanitarian crises

Strengthening multilateral institutions like the UN and World Bank

Promoting peace, disarmament, and ending colonial exploitation

Some key proposals for world peace:

1. Economic Justice: Development and equity as preconditions for peace

2. Global Disarmament: Reduced military spending, nuclear disarmament

3. Strengthened UN Role: A more democratic and effective United Nations

4. Global Governance Mechanisms

5.World economic coordination

6.Emergency relief systems

7.Equitable trade and aid mechanisms

While nations per se may have failed to prevent War, the time has come for people to rise in unison across all countries throughout the globe to declare in one thundering voice – 

We Do Not Want War.  We Want to Exist and Progress Peacefully. 

And that day may not be far.  The Earth is hopeful.  Humanity is hopeful.  

‘God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world.’

* * *