By Madan S. Singh
In 2016, the world has experienced the struggle and hardship of establishing peace and restoring human dignity. In the morning when we rose and tuned ourselves to radio, television or read newspaper we faced with heartrending news of violence, crime, wars, and disasters.
In the ultra supersonic age, it is vividly seen one’s precious life is not safe. The humanity is constantly aware of fear, tension, mental restlessness and discontent. There must be something seriously wrong with our progress and development, and if we do not check it in time there could be disastrous consequences for the future of humanity.
The greatest problem all around the world today, whether in America, Japan, China, Russia, India, or anywhere else in the world, is that people are not in peace. People want of peace.
Today, if two persons fight, the government is supposed to settle them down. But when governments fight, who is going to settle them down? The political parities fiercely fight.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation has said, “The pursuit of truth does not permit violence being inflicted on one’s opponent”. The word of Martin Luther King, Jr. reprimands, “We must learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to perish together as fools.” Years ago Edward Bellamy said, ‘the primal principle of democracy is the worth and dignity of the individual’. We must remember that the different political systems, ideologies, and religions of the world are meant for human beings to achieve happiness.
In 1975 Prem Rawat said, “Peace on Earth”, “This is my duty”. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the peace you wish for the world.” I see, solving human problems through transforming human attitudes will be one of the ways.
Each individual also has the responsibility to take up the cause of peace and human dignity. As despite great hardships and abuses the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’ resolute efforts brought more than 50-year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 220000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people.
Our material progress and technology somehow is not sufficient in bringing about peace and happiness or in overcoming suffering. Therefore, it questions our sensitivity and compassion.
Every act of compassion makes a difference for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. But in newspapers on August 25 and 26 published the shocking news that Dana Majhi, a tribal of Kalahandi district of Odisha, eastern India, was forced to carry the body of his wife, Amang Dei, who died of tuberculosis. His plea and cry for vehicle to carry the body to his home by the authority went unnoticed. No human being should have their dignity or freedom compromised. The cries of the human rights are increasing in alarming rate. “Today, no walls can separate humanitarian or human rights crises in one part of the world from national security crises in another.
What begins with the failure to uphold the dignity of one life all too often ends with a calamity for entire nations.” Kofi Annan. Reminded by this line, we all must strive to establish peace in the world and restore human dignity.
(The author is a social worker and director of Jana Vikas [People’s development], social work wing of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archdiocese, based in Konjamendi, Kandhamal, Odisha.)
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