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World will rediscover relevance of Gandhi
2007/10/02,08:52

As the world observes the first International Day of Non-Violence, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today hoped the global community will rediscover the relevance of the eternal message of Mahatma Gandhi for fighting conflict, violence and terrorism.

Gandhi 

I read this news in internet and started pondering over 'violence'. How would it have originated? I read a story in a newspaper years ago, on how children less than 10 years old, who are employed to kill the animals in slaughter houses develop an insensitivity to blood and soon they forget to see the difference between animal and human blood.I have read one theory that as humans have evolved from animals, they just inherited animal tendecies of killing as well. Considering this to be true, I started thinking about why animals need to do so? Why does Nature left animals the choice to kill?  That is Nature - some say.

When there is natural death by ageing, and while there is abundance provided by nature , why some animals were left with a choice to kill for survival? When I was continuing to run my thought process, I realized that my assumption on killing is based on 'blood' and hence I left plants out of my scope.

Anyways, putting a stop to my mind walk in this direction, I diverted to another. However violence has originated, whatever its manifestations we have seen in the world, there are a very few who conquered the tendencies within themselves and Oct 02 is a day of one such person's birth which is recognized by UN as the International day of non violence.

Still in many parts of the world it is Oct 02, and here below are some quotes about him and by him.

The below are from the movie - Gandhi (1982) 

Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always.

Nahari: I'm going to Hell! I killed a child! I smashed his head against a wall.
Gandhi: Why?
Nahari: Because they killed my son! The Muslims killed my son!
[indicates boy's height]
Gandhi: I know a way out of Hell. Find a child, a child whose mother and father have been killed and raise him as your own.
[indicates same height]
Gandhi: Only be sure that he is a Muslim and that you raise him as one.

Edward R. Murrow: [at Gandhi's funeral] The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

Thanks to imdb.com for the online version of these quotes.

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