No War, But Global Peace!
No War, But Global Peace / Article
No War, But Global Peace!
Fr Dr M. D. Thomas
Director, Institute of
Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi
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War between Russia and Ukraine has been on for the
past over one month, very tragically so. It has been highlighted that this is
the biggest war ever after the Second World War. There is also a fear in the
air whether this war is the beginning of the third world war or not. At any
rate, the year 2022 is going into the history of the world as a year of heartbreaking
memory of brutal war between countries.
In the process of the above war, tens of thousands of lives are no more. Millions of civilians have lost their dear houses and all that they have earned in their life time. Billions and billions worth precious infrastructure, both private and public, are reduced into mere ruins and ashes. The benefits and niceties of the human culture, development and progress acquired over centuries are brutally plundered, as well.
Commenting on the war, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guiterres, stated “continuing the war in Ukraine is morally unacceptable, politically indefensible and militarily nonsensical”. “It is time to stop the fighting now and give peace a chance”, he added. He continued to urge Russia to end the war that is ‘unwinnable’ and ‘absurd’, both at the same time.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine was
the ‘saddest moment in my tenure’, the UN Chief Guiterres lamented. He further
warned that ‘the
rush to use fossil fuels because of the war in Ukraine is ‘madness’ and it
threatens global climate targets’. The
invasion of Ukraine has seen rapid rises in the prices of coal, oil and gas, as
countries scramble to replace Russian sources.
Well, at the end of the day, war is never
a solution to any problem. It is no way to any sustainable achievement for any
country. Plundering the precious human lives and devastating the hard-earned supportive
resources and monuments is nothing more than a mere stupidity. It is totally
unwise and ridiculous. War is the diabolic way of converting the human society
and the creation into an untimely and undignified grave.
Furthermore, war is the Himalayan
proof that devil is present and active in this world. War is the aggression
that emerges from self-centredness and arrogance. War is a complete violation
of the dignity of human existence, of one’s own self and of the other. War is
the breach of the fundamental human rights of the other country as well as of its
citizens. War gets one’s own self drowned in perdition, both in the short and the
long run. To say the least, war is a total perversion of the human mind.
On the other hand, peace is a noble
sentiment. Peace is a divine endowment. Peace is a humane accomplishment. Only
peaceful interaction can sustain life. Peace is the humble recognition of the
divine paternity and maternity. Peace is the celebration of the human brotherhood
and sisterhood on earth. Without peace and harmonious living, life is
meaningless. With peaceful co-existence, human life becomes worth being lived. Peace
is the way to a happy and sustainable life. This is the sacred mystery of life
on earth.
God, the Creator, sent to the world
prophets, God men and great persons, ultimately to establish peace among the
human tribes, communities and groups. If the humans behave in a way the Creator
is failed in his objective, I believe, the humans will have to hang their heads
in utter shame. They will have no place to hide on earth, too. Therefore, it
will be wise for human beings to remain in the divine and humane track of life
and thus honour the heavenly purpose of life by refraining from wars and
conflicts.
What’s more, religion has been a significant
reality in the history of the humans, from time immemorial. But, the world
history has it that religion has been on the side of the wars and conflicts,
directly or indirectly as well as actively or passively. If we humans fail to
learn a lesson from the pages of the history and dare to continue the wars, it
will be a major blot on religion, along with human intelligence, wisdom and
culture as well as development and progress. Moreover, the voice of the human
conscience then will rise with the prickly question ‘what is your faith for’? I
believe, that should not be allowed to happen.
In the wake of the Russian war on
Ukraine, on behalf of Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, I wish
to make a strong appeal to all the countries in the world as well as those
responsible for the current war between Russia and Ukraine, to say ‘no’ to war,
with immediate effect, and to commit themselves to ‘global peace’, at all costs
and by all means. May the divine and humane quality of peace reign over the
human world, always and forever! Thank you.
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The author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and has been committed to cross-cultural perspectives, cross-scriptural values, constitutional values, interfaith relations, communal harmony, national integration and social wellbeing, for the past over 40 years. He contributes to the above cause through lectures, articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV channels, and the like.
He could be viewed, listened to and contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’ (p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’(p) and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’ (o); social media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o), ‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’ (p); email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’ (p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).
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