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June 11, 2007

Gandhi Is Needed In Nepal

By Kamala Sarup

Mahatma Gandhi once said, the root cause of ignorance, extremism, crime and social disorder is violence.

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Gandhi Is Needed In Nepal

By Kamala Sarup

Mahatma Gandhi once said, the root cause of ignorance, extremism, crime and social disorder is violence. If we remember Mahatma Gandhi's biography. South Africa opened his eyes, when he saw the human suffering. His return to India was to rescue many people from suffering. How great he was. Buddha, Martin Luther King, and Gandhi are the epitomes of non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of self rule and philosophy of reconciliation is what Nepal needs today, to get out of the quagmire we are in today.
 
Violence is the deliberate infliction of psychic or physical pain by a person on another person. It is psychic torture by my definition, the pain is nearly as much as beatings or humiliation.

All peace lovers using the non violence method assume an anti violence cause. However, considering the latter as a way to at least reduce violence somewhat, consider that asocial behavior of all kinds is a consequence of the combination of ignorance and aggression --  formal education partially helps, and employment partially helps, but nobody pays any attention to that source of our problems.

Thus, Nepal today desperately needs another Mahatma Gandhi to get out of the political turmoil, anarchic situation. Mahatma Gandhi is one leader I have always admired the most . Gandhi stands tall amongst all world leaders. His philosophy and teachings have resonated around the world as a leader of non violence, spiritual living, and independence. What Gandhi did to the upliftment of Harijans in India, Abraham Lincoln did to the liberation of African American slaves in America. Today our violence prone world with wars, terrorism, and genocide happening around the world, needs another Gandhi to show us the way with peace marches and prayers.

At least he would have stood up to speak the truth and lead the people to an understanding, reconciliations and establish permanent peace. He would certainly have supported the ideas of democracy, freedoms, and peoples representations. Gandhi would see to it that no dalit, janjati, women, madhesi, pahadi would be left out of the governing body.

India struggled to modern nationhood through the courage of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi represents the light, beauty and strength of the human spirit in times of global war, totalitarianism and economic upheavals. Nepal today desperately needs another Mahatma Gandhi to get out of the political turmoil, anarchic situation.

He would have asked the people with his long marches, and prayer meetings to come to terms with the truth and peace. Mahatma in his own ways, would have first demanded that the Maoists first surrender all arms, and renounce all forms of violence before being accepted into the government and mainstream as a political party.

A Nepali social worker Pandey said "Besides Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King , Nelson Mandela,  are also those held in high esteem. The world has seen many leaders come and go, but these have stood the test of times for me. B.P. Koirala is the only true leader from Nepal. I have sometimes wondered what would Gandhiji say, if he is here today amongst us. What would he have said about the Iraq war, about Afghanistan, and about the situation in Nepal ?:

Pandey further added" Gandhi would plead with all Nepalis to preserve their self respect, identity, and work.". Nepal is the birth place of Buddha, India, which produced Mahatma Gandhi and US is the birth place of Martin Luther King. 



Authors Website: http://mediaforfreedom.com

Authors Bio:

Journalist, poet and editor Kamala Sarup works at the Cape Collection. Kamala specializes in reporting news and writing stories covering journalism, Peace, Public health, Democracy, Women/Children, development, justice and economic development. She is an editor for mediaforfreedom.com


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