Truth and Non Violence
By: Afreen Manzoor
Non- Violence and Truth are inseparable and presuppose one another- MK Gandhi
Truth and Non- Violence are generally considered to be the two key constituent of Gandhian philosophy. Gandhi ji’s life was rooted in India’s religious tradition with its emphasis on a passionate search for it’s truth, a profound respect for life, the ideal of non violence and the readiness to sacrifice all for the knowledge of God.
He lived his whole life in the perpetual quest of truth. The English word “truth” is an imperfect translation of the Sanskrit, “Satya” and “Non-Violence” an even more imperfect translation of “ahimsa”. Actually truth and ahimsa are closely integrated with his philosophy of life.
Gandhiji was an outspoken promoter of non- violence and truth. The concepts of Truth and Non-Violence was very important to him. Gandhiji associates God with Truth. Many thinkers believe that God is the highest reality. At the same time, Gandhi asserts that Truth is the only thing that exists.
As a result both truth and God represent the highest or ultimate reality. Gandhi believed that non- violence in it’s purest form could never be implemented in practice. However, relative non-Violence can be practised.
According to Gandhi, the perfect straight line as defined by Euclid cannot be drawn. Similarly, perfect Non-Violence is impossible to achieve. Gandhi claimed that man possesses the divine spark, that must continually strive to keep the Divine Spark alive.
As a result, Gandhi considered Non – Violence to be law of our species. At the same time, Gandhi recognized that practising total non- violence in our daily lives is impossible. According to MK Gandhi, “Truth could not be realised without the practice of non- violence. As a result, Non-Violence is the universes ultimate cementing link which has its source in God or Truth”.
Truth and Non-Violence are inextricably linked. They are two sides of same coin. Non-Violence doesn’t mean we have to passively accept injustice. One has to fight for rights, one has to oppose injustice but in most appropriate manner as Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims, ‘Truth, Peace and Non-Violence form the central tenets of the Idea of India’!
(The author is a student)
