India observes The World Day of Peace on 30th of January in honour of the martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation.
When Pope Francis invited the leaders of Israel and Palestine for a joint preliminary meeting on Peace, the following words of the Bible were quoted by one of the leaders: “He shall judge between the Nations and shall decide for many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Is. 2,2-5).
Peace and harmony among men is the natural desire of mankind. They are based on the lofty concepts of truth, justice and equality of men. And when these basic principles are violated, wars erupt and peace is disrupted. Peace is not a mere absence of war but a positive effort of all concerned that the fruits of development are enjoyed by all.
Mankind has evolved to the present stage through wars, famines and struggles. From monarchy to dictatorship and absolute despotism of rulers, man has finally opted for democracy but man is still yearning for peace and it is constantly eluding him.
Nations are in turmoil all over the world. African nations rising against each other and people suffering from famines, diseases and wars in Syria and Iraq, in Ukraine and Russia, in Afghanistan and Pakistan and back on our own borders so many people are killed without mercy and terrorism raises its ugly head here and there in our world living in constant tension.
From the French Revolution to Nazism of Hitler, from two world wars, from Perestroika and Glasnost of Mikhail Gorbachev which saw the dismantling of the Soviet Union and the latest ideas like globalisation and economic development, mankind has come of age but it has still a long way to go in the path of justice and peace among nations and equitable distribution of wealth among the peoples. Unfortunately we see the big nations, sometimes, engaged in fomenting trouble among nations by the sale of arms to fringe elements and terrorist groups which endanger peace. Unless all efforts are positively converged by the nations in search of lasting peace in sincerity of heart and following the path of truth and justice, peace will still elude mankind.
I would like to conclude with a few stray thoughts on peace with these unrhymed stanzas.
“If man cannot find peace in the loving arms of God the creator of man, Neither can he find peace in the arms made by man against man.”
Love is the solution
Love is the resolution
Love is the revolution
The world must undergo today.
