Book Title: Mahavira Jayanti Smarika 1964
Author(s): Chainsukhdas Nyayatirth
Publisher: Rajasthan Jain Sabha Jaipur

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Page 207
________________ 86 been artificially excited to the highest pitch could show it only on a single Chaistmas Eve, it is not too much to ask of the humanity in this connection. "Patriotism and War are not human facts" has been rightly pointed out by the seers of old. The next example occurred in Ireland during the time of Cromwell. The history of Cromwell's conquest of Ireland, and the record of the laws and punishments of those days clearly show that the English in that country acted in a fearfully brutal and callous manner, yet the nonviolent resistance of the quackers prevailed against them. An instructive example of the way a group as a whole can acquire a peaceable and non-violent tradition is given by the relationship between two neighbouring peoples in the Malaya Peninsula the Semang and Malaya. For a long time the more powerful Malayas oppressed the Semang by raiding them for slaves, cheating them in trade and ousting them from their lands. Originally the Semang resisted their powerful opponents but they were severely suppressed. Later they adopted the passive resistance and in due course the aggression of Malaya over them came to an end. Though they had no idea or intention of using non-violence-but unconciously its use resul ted in a success for them. (Social Learning and Imitation-by N. Miller and J. Dollard). In Jain traditions we get several examples how warfare and bloodshed were 'avoided by the intervention of persons who followed the principles of nonviolence. Such an example belongs to very ancient times when Bharat Chakra Jain Education International varty, a very powerful king, who ruled over Aryavrat decided an issue with his own brother Babubali by a dual between both of them giving up the path of warfare and thus saving lives of lacs of living beings. The fact that there were several Jain and Buddhist rulers who carried on their administration for long periods quite efficiently prove that Ahimsa can also be worked out in political sphere. I have not included here what Gandhiji did in his whole life trying to demonstrate the power of non-violence as they are well known to all persons of this age. This shows that non-violence has been actually used on several occasions in the past and is practicable to solve the various problems of mankind, but the question arises how does it work. Anger, fear and hatred are the basis of violence and are incapable enough to solve the various problems set before us, but they are required to be sublimated into such channels where they may be utilised. That is why, peace imposed from outside as a result of conflict cannot be stable. The reason how non-violence works in masses is that even barbarians resexhibit rare courage in opposing their pect courage. The non-violent men enemies, as they undergo all sorts of hardships. Non-violent resistance touches human nature itself, not merely its cultured areas. "The psychological forces in non-violent resistance would operate in different ways against different nations, but they will operate effectively against them all, as surely as violent war has operated against them all.." For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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