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ultimate treatment of punishment. But fence sitters are to be quarantined within fences of proper education and social uplift. The extreme treatment could involve acts of violence, but as it is curative in terms of the larger human interest, punitive violence need not be considered violence as such.
If violence is to be reduced or curbed, it is essential that the looming shadows of threat be diffused or removed. As there is no standard formula for this, it has to be tackled at different levels and in different dimensions. However, because adversity is the prime source of this threat, it is of fundamental importance that adversity be addressed on a high-priority and long-term basis. We need to remind ourselves frequently that if sincere and concerted efforts are not made in time, humanity could soon be overwhelmed by the choking stink of cordite and its own decaying carcass.
Polarization is another cause of conflicts. Polarization leads to dogmatic absolutism because it is not aimed at the search for truth, but rather the vindication of previously established beliefs. The increase in the tendency of imposing our thoughts on others is the cause of the spread of the prevailing stressful atmosphere.
Intellectuals these days are mostly involved in discussions that lead to an unpleasant and unproductive hardening of attitudes. The basic purpose of any discussion should be to develop better mutual understanding. But this kind of discussion seldom takes place— not in visual or print media, nor in seminars or meetings, general or private. Instead, we usually find argumentative exchanges or heated debates propagating dogmas.
The first thing we should do is prevent any further escalation of violence in our own lives, for it is we who proAHIMSA: THE SCIENCE OF PEACE 125
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