FROM THE CHIEF EDITOR’S DESK
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognized as one of its most influential Muslims . His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.
THE recent brutal violation of the young girl we call Nirbhaya — the fearless one, has shaken the whole country, compelling us to examine the life we lead and the values we believe in.
Any kind of violence perpetrated on another is not a sign of power; it is a pointer to weakness and deficient character that comes from a lack of direction or purpose in life. This in turn could be the result of various factors. In this case, there was absolutely no respect for a fellow human being’s dignity or life.
One day in 1893, Swami Vivekananda was walking down a street in Chicago clad in two pieces of untailored saffron cloth. At that time this was a strange sight in America. A lady who was walking on the same street saw Swamiji, and said to her husband, “I don’t think this man is a gentleman.” Swami Viekananda, who overheard the remark, walked up to her and politely said: “Excuse me Madam, in your country the tailor makes a man a gentleman; but in my country, character makes a man a gentleman.”
A gentleman is, as a gentleman does — it is not about what he wears. We need, now more than ever, to revive this spirit in India. We must conduct ourselves in such a way that we uphold human dignity and the sanctity of life, realising our potential as a spiritual superpower. People of every group and organisation in India, outraged by this criminal assault on Nirbhaya are now expressing their support for a common cause — a crimefree India; to create a value based, law-abiding society, where human dignity is preserved, and where we may present a good example to other nations. After independence, our country’s leaders tried to bring about reform in India. One of their easiest attempts at reform was paper activism, that is, legislation. Laws can be written on paper, but these are ineffective unless efforts are made sincerly in other directions. For true reform, change must come from within society itself. Both the Parliament and State assemblies have been actively involved in enacting laws, to the extent that now we are living in a jungle of laws.
In addition, in India there are numerous human rights activists fighting for justice and the right denied or deprived to others. But it is seldom that we find a person or organisation which engages in human duties activism. This has created a society that is rights-conscious as different from one that is duty-conscious. A rights-conscious person only knows his/her own needs, whereas a duty-conscious person thinks about the needs of society. That is why crimes flourish in a rights-conscious society; whereas in a duty-conscious society, crimes are kept in check.
As a Gandhian, I can say that peaceful activism is not merely a method; peace is power. We need to start a peaceful movement aimed at reviving positive human values. In Gandhian terms, it is only non-violent activism that can lead us to the next cherished goal: that of making our country a spiritual India.
If we want respect for ourselves we have to respect others. Overcome your base instincts and realise your potential as a human being to lead a life of non-violence, by following the precept of divine character. Conscience is the strongest check against wrongdoing. Anyone who wants to live as an honest, upright person must keep guard and heed his conscience or moral sensitivity. Keeping one’s conscience alive is the only way to maintain a peaceful character and doing so is the beginning of a spiritual awakening.
Violence results from a feeling of deprivation and negativism, while peace results from positivism and a sense of discovery. Violence must, in principle, be discarded absolutely and peace must be adopted absolutely. This is the only way towards a spiritual awakening and a new India.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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