Speech by Shri Ajit Kumar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the UN for the Side Event on 28th September 2016 during the 33rd  UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.

‘Let us take inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela for a world free of violent extremism’

Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation and deep gratitude to Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, The African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights (RADDHO) and Himalayan Research and Cultural Forum for organizing this event. They have also chosen a highly relevant topic to address these troubled times we are all living through.

Today, it appears that the entire humanity needs to pause and introspect. The violence and tumult that characterise our world are nothing new. Such phases have appeared before, and unfortunately, will plague mankind in future too. However, on the positive side, we have had great minds who have responded to such situations in the past and given us their wisdom and sagacity to address our concerns. It is here that we need to turn to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela-the two giants amongst men of recent history.

The erstwhile colonial South Africa was the common link to these great men. Of course, it was Madiba’s home but even for Gandhi, who spent over two decades living in South Africa, the country provided a crucible in which his first experiments in pursuit of truth were played out. My South African friends never tire of telling me that you gave us a lawyer, we sent back a Mahatma!

In fact, Mahatma Gandhi founded the first political organization of Africa – the Natal Indian Congress in 1895.  (African National Congress [ANC] was formed by John Dube in 1912).

He founded one of the first newspapers in Africa – “Indian Opinion” in 1896.  In 1893, a young Indian barrister, Gandhi was evicted from a train at Petermaritzberg train station for being a non-white.  That day, a colonial man fell and a Mahatma rose.  Gandhi then vowed to fight against racial discrimination, colonialism and injustice.  By a strange coincidence, on September 11, 1906, Gandhi launched his first ‘Satyagraha’ movement in Johannesburg.  

On his return from South Africa in 1916, he carried the torch of Satyagraha to lead the non-violence freedom struggle, bringing masses into the freedom movement of India, which brought the might British Empire to its knees.  It had dynamo effect and had profound influence on other anti-colonial movements in developing world, mainly in Asia and Africa.  Mahatma Gandhi’s humane philosophy and inherent spirituality had a profound influence not only on the people of India but also on the freedom loving people worldwide.  

I had the honour to serve as India’s Consul General in Duran, South Africa during 2000-2003.  I was closely associated with Phoenix Settlement Turst.  The Phoenix Settlement was founded by Mahatma Gandhi near Durban from his own savings.   After being razed to ground during apartheid regime in 1980s, it was rebuilt with the assistance of South African government and Government of India.  Like the proverbial bird  Phoenix, as Gandhiji had named it, it came back to life.  In fact, Gandhiji truly practiced an African concept of ‘Ubuntu’ that can be summed up as “I am because we are”.  

Mahatma awakened the global conscience about some of the great evils besetting our species, among them ethnocentrism, xenophobia, colonialism and violence.  He gave the talisman that if ever you were in doubt, please recall the face of the poorest man.

Friends,

The life and work of Gandhiji is also an inspiration for all of us about tolerance and respect for others, their values, their ways of life. Gandhiji believed that intolerance was a form of violence. He had said, I quote "Non-Violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man ...". He also said that “the virtues of mercy, non-violence, love and truth in any man can be truly tested only when they are pitted against ruthlessness, violence, hate and untruth”. He believed in Ahimsa or non-violence as the highest ideal, and that Ahimsa is meant for the brave, never for the cowardly. It is significant that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution in June 2007 declaring birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, 2nd of October, as the “International Day of Non-Violence”.

Gandhiji led by example and it is due to his strong and personal commitment to secularism, truth, non-violence and social reform that modern India has stayed rooted to these values despite pressures and challenges. Whatever he taught, he first subjected to rigorous experimentation on himself.  Mahatma Gandhi said: ‘Be the change, you want to see in the world.’

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mahatma Gandhi bequeathed to us three guiding principles: the trinity of Ahimsa (or non-violence), Satyagraha (or the force born of truth and non-violence), and Sarvodaya (or upliftment of all).  It is the value of these principles that we have to rediscover if we want to deal effectively with today’s challenges.

The essence of Mahatma Gandhi’s political philosophy was the empowerment of every individual, irrespective of class, caste, colour, creed or community.  To him, extreme poverty was itself a form of violence.  When India drew up its Constitution, where my own father was a member of the Constituent Assembly, concepts such as fundamental rights, directive principles to the States, abolition of untouchability, rights for the under privileged and the marginalized were all inspired by Gandhian thoughts and values. Another institution which has evolved in India today on the basis of Gandhian philosophy is Panchayati Raj where the village council or the village parliament will assume more responsibilities like the national parliament.

Today, India has a distinction of being the world’s largest democracy.  The democratic institutions inspired by Mahatma Gandhi have stood the test of time.  India, today, is the fastest growing major economy.  While India has taken many strides on the road to development, it has many miles to go.  It is the effort of the Government of India to empower the common man and make the growth more inclusive based on Gandhian philosophy of elimination of poverty and empowerment of masses.  Therefore, we are already implementing Sustainable Development Goals agreed last year

Gandhiji had stated that “The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.”  In this simple statement on sustainable development, Mahatma Gandhi showed us the value of high thinking and simple living.  The concern for our environment and climate change that now envelopes civil society across the globe is best articulated by this simple statement.  Therefore, Gandhiji espoused environmental concerns much ahead of time and much before environment and climate change became a pressing problem as it is today.

Therefore India is ratifying the Climate Change Agreement on 2nd October, birthday of Mahatma Gandhi as a fitting tribute to him.

A second idea of equally great relevance to our world today, an idea that can foster peace between people, cultures, nations and civilizations, is captured by Gandhiji’s statement and I quote: “I do not want to stay in a house with all its windows and doors shut.  I want a house with all its windows and doors open where the cultural breezes of all lands and nations blow through my house.  But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”  The pluralism, this liberalism, this commitment to an open society and an open polity, we believe also an open economy is what shaped our national movement under Gandhiji’s leadership.  These wise words must guide us all in this era of globalization, i.e., need for confluence of civilization by process of dialogue.  

Since Buddha, Gandhiji was the greatest moral force in Indian history, his whole life was an experiment with truth. Mahatma Gandhiji once said, “My life is my message.”

Friends,

Nelson Mandela, who lived closer to our times, was a true statesman and a great proponent of a humanist philosophy that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings both individually and collectively. Almost three decades of incarceration would have broken any ordinary human being but not Madiba who, if anything, came out stronger. The similarity between Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela gets reflected in their vision for humanity and an almost superhuman generosity towards all especially their oppressors. Madiba has himself acknowledged the influence of Mahatma Gandhi in the evolution of his political thoughts.

I had the honour to meet Madiba twice – and also had lunch with Nelson Mandela in Durban.

This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Conclusion:

Mahatma Gandhi’s courage of conviction, his all-encompassing compassion and spirit of service to humankind, his renunciation of power and its worldly trappings, and his unwavering self-discipline in practicing what he preached, imbued all his words and actions with a compelling moral authority.  In a world riven with ethnic and religious conflict, terrorism, and growing emphasis on economic prosperity at the cost of human, social and environmental factors, his philosophy provides tangible answers to many of the dilemmas and problems of modern society.  As Nelson Mandela said, “Gandhian philosophy may be the key to human survival in the 21st century.”  Therefore, it is not the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela that is in question today, it is whether we have the courage to emulate their teachings and what they lived and died for.

Thank you,

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