Most of the western media is intrigued by the current non violent movement happening in India, under the leadership of Anna Hazare. While the world has witnessed many violent protests in the recent past in Lybia, Egypt, Tunisia etc, for them it is amazing to see how India has managed a non violent movement of such a big scale.
The question that then arises is, are Indian’s inherently non violent?
Since non-violent protests have existed from the times of Gandhi to Anna and have had many different avatars in between – from the famous Chipko movement in Doon Valley to Appiko movement in Karnataka and many more.
Since non-violent protests have existed from the times of Gandhi to Anna and have had many different avatars in between – from the famous Chipko movement in Doon Valley to Appiko movement in Karnataka and many more.
However that does not seem to be the case, since India has also witnessed many bloody violent protests from the recent Gujrat and Mumbai riots to the 1984 riots and also riots in the past in UP, Bihar, to the deadliest of them all in 1947 after partition. This list is many folds longer than the history of non-violent protest.
So what is it then that makes the non-violent protests to happen?
The answer, according to me, lies in the Leadership. What is happening today in this Jan Lokpal protest is all due to the leadership of Anna Hazare, who claims to be a Gandhian and has deep belief in the power of non-violent protests. And same was true for Gandhi also. Even in the time of Gandhi, there were violent protests happening. However Gandhi’s protests remained non-violent in nature.
So, what is it that makes some protests non-violent and most of them violent?
It is because non-violence is not a tactic, which can be learnt and picked up by any one. It is not a magic wand, which just anyone can use. It has to do with deep beliefs and value system of the people involved. For most people, it is very easy to get angry and even resort to violent methods of protest. Non-violence on the other hand is a deep rooted belief in tolerance and acceptance of everyone and every view. In this belief, even if the other person or other party does not agree to you, you don’t feel offended. You let them have their view. However, you still hold on to your own view and you hold on to it so dearly that you are even ready to fast indefinitely for it. And at the same time, you give space to the other people to have their view. You have unconditional love for everyone that no matter what they say or what they do, you still love them. Even if in their arrogance, they come and hit you, you still remain unmoved and don’t hit back. (in fact, you put forward your other cheek!).
That is where non-violence comes from. A deep seated belief in humanity, a deep seated love for everyone, a deep seated acceptance of others, no matter what their views are, no matter what their beliefs are and no matter what they do !
And people like Mahatma Gandhi developed such beliefs over his life time, which inspired people all over the globe and continue to inspire even to this day.
Ameet Mattoo
August 2011
August 2011
