The Gateway to World Peace – India

XXX  Santosh C. Verma XXX

Our world is in turmoil. How can we forget the horrible human tragedy of atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945? We cannot. The dangerous dark clouds of the spread of nuclear weapons and WMDS, etc. are hovering to destroy the human race. Our very existence is at risk.  We are potentially heading towards World War III.  The future of human race and what exists on planet earth is at risk.  The future of our children, grandchildren - future generations is at risk.  

We must not forget what Nobel Prize Laureate Albert Einstein said, " I do not know what weapons World War III will be fought with, but world War IV will be fought with sticks and stones".

  It is paramount or supreme or number one priority for all of us to make our world worth living- of peace and prosperity.

   I would make an attempt in this brief article as to why India is crucial for achieving world peace. What is special about India ? India has the values that are critically needed for world peace and if we do not want to destroy each other or want to avoid a doomsday scenario that could ultimately lead to destruction of human race and our planet earth. Nothing will be left then.

  India is a civilization of thousands of years. India is unique in values and ways. India is a song of harmony for every human being. It has been and is the most tolerant country on our Good Earth. Indians have been nurtured by human values no matter who came and ruled India . No one has been able shake its core values. All came- people of all faiths and traditions, conquerors came, settled down, made it their own country and submerged in its beauty of being part of it and furthered in their own way human values- non-violence, be compassionate, loving, promote peace and be good to fellow human beings.

  In spite of poverty and harshness of living standards for millions, and to rich and very rich to kings and emperors and many distinct identities of each Indian, Hindustani or Bharatvasi; they all made contribution and molded again and again, melted and merged into the knowledge of reasoning and submerged in the ocean of human values- all human beings are equal. This is India , Bharat or Hindustan . India continues to be beacon of hope for humankind in the world.

  Vedas what we know are the oldest books of ultimate knowledge in the library of human history- perhaps five thousand years old, if not from time immemorial. These four books of Vedas (Rig Ved, Yajur Ved, Sam Ved and Atherve Ved) were the books known to the people of very ancient India . It is the Rig-Veda that gave the great mantra or the absolutely perfect elixir to the people of the world, “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Vasudhev Kutubhkam”. It means peace and prosperity for all, and this earth is a global village. This mantra did not make any distinction of any kind – this people or that people. This is the foundation of secular values, firmly ingrained in the so-called Indus Valley Civilization. And it became the cornerstone for later arrivals from all over the world to the land of peace and tolerance; we call it India , Bharat or Hindustan . Call this land by any name the values it brought to the people around the world were of peace and tolerance. This is what our world needs it for our survival and to live peacefully. India is a home to Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Jain and Sikhs, Christians, of Judaism and Zoroastrians and multitudes of cultures, traditions and languages and what not. Today over one billion people of multitudes of diversity live side by side. It is a miracle to many in the world but for Indians it is the natural way of life. These core values got suppressed or became latent under different rulers but these values never changed for the majority of the people living in India .

  What made India retain such great values is a mystery to many in the world. There must be some reason how today over one billion people are primarily living together and India is going through unprecedented economic boom and the largest democracy of over 60 years is vibrant and functioning whereas our world is in turmoil. Our world is in deep trouble. I would try or attempt to provide a simplistic explanation without going into the jargon of details. We can write volumes of books but a basic approach from the heart would be much more beneficial without getting lost in history and facts in detail.

  Furthermore, I have been on the uncharted journey and have been venturing for decades in search of ways to achieve worldwide prosperity and peace. Although, I am deeply involved, I meet many people, leaders, thinkers and experts, read books and joined world class organizations; my thirst for world peace remains unquenched. It is a challenge; every one will agree to it. We do not want to destroy each other; we need lasting world peace. Years ago, I established a Foundation for the Economic Development of India, and I have written a book, "How to Achieve Worldwide Prosperity and Peace" that outlines my perceptions and vision. I have established International World Peace Foundation for the purpose of promoting world peace.

  India is land of Gurus , Saints, Fakirs and Sadhus. Among the notable Gurus are: Sri Aurobindo, Guru Nanak Dev, Sant Gyaneshwar, Sant Kabir, Mother Teresa , Param Hansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba , Sathya Sai Baba, Ram Krishan Yogananda, Patanjali, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Pramukh Swami, Ram Dev Baba, and many more. There are thousands and thousands of Gurus in almost every neighborhood.  They may not be well known but they preach tolerance and that all human beings are equal. All these have one thing in common that is tolerance, peace and equality of all human beings. One can visualize that such a perennial stream of gurus or saints in India, known or unknown, are simply part of the Indian society’s’ messengers of peace and of one world under God.

 Similarly Muslim saints and Sufis, like Khawaja Mu in-ud-Din Chisti of Ajmer (1236 CE), Shahanshah Akbar established Din-e- Illahi. Peers and Pahgambers (God’s messenger) of the Muslim era in India became  part of both the Hindu and Muslims alike for their blessings.

  The Muslim poets wrote abundantly in Urdu language about tolerance and peace, and they were well respected by the people of all religions. Hindu-Muslim unity came out in their variety of ways in verses. Some of the acclaimed personalities, before the partition of India , were: Mir, Mirza Ghalib, Zauk, Dard, and Daag (and many more can be named). Sahir Ludhianvi has a special place in Bollywood (Indian Film Industry). He wrote for the film Hum Dono in 1961, “Allah Tero Naam, Ishwar Tere Naam” , and for the film, Dhool ka Phool he wrote, “ Tu Hindu Banega na Musalman banega, Tu Insaan ke Aulaad hai, Insan Banega”. Sahir Ludhianvi is a legend for the people of India .  Maithli Sharan Gupt, a great Hindi poet, wrote, “Wahi Munshya jo Munshya ke liyae Jiyae”.

  Nobel Laureate in literature Rabindernath Tagore and Vinoba Bhave have special place in nurturing the core Indian values of tolerance and humility.

  What does all this mean? To put it simply, it only reinforces the perception that the people belonging to the Indian civilization, generally speaking are peace loving and tolerant, and living together is their natural way of life.

The Universities of Takshila and Nalanda: These universities reinforce how ancient India was mature and great in attracting students from allover the world.  India was never a closed door to the outside world.  The University of Takshila was established in 700BC, perhaps the first university in the world.  There were over 10, 500 students from all over the world and more than 60 subjects were offered.  The University of Nalanda was founded in the 4^th century BC.  These ancient universities were not only outstanding in academic values; these were great in nurturing human values.  

Emperor Ashoka and the battle of Kalinga he fought are a great example of Ashoka’s transformation from a warrior to non-violence. Ashoka was born in 294 BC and became King in 273 BC. He died in 232 BC. He was grandson of Chandragupta Maurya and the son of Bindusar. He was one of the greatest exemplary emperors not only in the Indian history but also for the world. According to the British historian H.G. Wells: “ Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history … the name of Ashoka shines, and shines almost alone, a star.” His kingdom stretched from Himalayas , Nepal , Kashmir to Mysore in the south, and from Afghanistan to the River Brahamputra in the East. Also, his empire extended to cover Saurashtra and Junagargh. Indeed he was a shining-star emperor of India .

  The war of Kalinga was the turning point in his life. This fierce war took place around 265-264 BC. It was a terrible war. About 100,000 people were killed. The emperor Ashoka stood in the battlefield amongst the dead bodies, and the wounded were all around. The sight of the dead and the crippled was so horrifying that he went through a traumatic heartbreaking moment of his life. He exclaimed, “What have I done?” He could not sleep for days. The brutality and horror of Kalinga war plunged him in deep sorrow and touched his heart, and finally he decided to give up on wars and violence. He devoted rest of his life, for 40 years, to the furtherance of peace- preached love and compassion, and practiced non-violence or Ahimsa. He declared in his edicts: “ … Now Beloved –of- the- Gods thinks that even those who do wrong should be forgiven where forgiveness is possible.” This is an example of what dramatic change the Indian soil can bring about: non-violence to an emperor who was engaged in war for the expansion of his kingdom.

  Who can forget Mahatma Gandhi of our times, a singular man of the 20^th Century! No one, indeed! He is beyond the imagination of human mind. He is a source of inspiration for the entire world. He is a true human being of all times. In the words of Albert Einstein, “ Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one of as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” Mahatma means a great soul. He was indeed a great soul. He was the architect of Satyagrah movement- the firm resistance against tyranny through mass civil disobedience (total non-violence). Truth (Satya) implies love, and firmness (Agraha) implies force. When put together this describes a force that is born of truth with love or non-violence. He loved also the oppressors, and he hated none. A fragile and meek looking person indeed did something miraculous. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi or Mahatma Gandhi- this great soul was born on October 2, 1869 . He is the most respected leader or human being of the world. For India he is a revered spiritual and political leader who helped India to attain freedom from British rule in 1947. He raised the consciousness of millions of people to surrender themselves peacefully to beating and torture by the British rulers while simultaneously not hating their opponents or the people who were responsible for such actions – the British government. He is a one of a kind, creative and original. Mahatma Gandhi in one of his quotations said, “What difference does it makes to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?” He used to say, “My life is my message.” Indeed he is an inspiration for world peace. He in the prayer hours sang, “Ishwar Allah Tere Naam, Sab Ko Sammati De Bhagwan.” It means God is one. Ishwar for Hindus is the name of God and Allah is God for the Muslims. But they are the same. May God bless wisdom to all the people! This is sung all-over India .

  I encourage people to watch 1982 masterpiece movie, named Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough. The actor Ben Kingsley plays the role as Gandhi impressively portrays the character to let us have glimpses of his marvelous life and his works; he touches not only the hearts of hundreds of millions of Indians but also the people all over the world. And it reveals how he (Mahatma Gandhi) spearheaded in a non-violent way the freedom struggle and helped India to attain freedom from the British rule. The film may constitute the cornerstone of the method or philosophy of peace and non-violence

  Indian film industry or Bollywood can be called as an Institution of peace- communal harmony. Do not be surprised by this statement. The producers, directors, playback singers, music directors, actors and actresses and other staff of the Indian film industry come from every community- Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikh, etc or we can say from all walks of life. It has the most impact on the Indian people. Bringing movies that promote communal harmony all the time has been remarkable. Its commendable contribution can be better visualized if we go back to the times of horrifying killings and destruction as a result of partitioning of India in 1947. India and Pakistan were born in 1947. Over one million were killed on both sides of the divide ( India and Pakistan ). Some 12 to 14 million became refugees apart from massive destruction of property. Communal hate among Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs was at the climax. Both the countries were in chaos. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948 due to the hate- charged environment. In that drop of dangerous and extremely explosive environment Indian film industry showed remarkable tolerance and communal harmony.

  In those dreadful days the legendary actors from the Hindu and Muslim communities worked together as a family. The legendary actor /director/producer Raj Kapoor and his father Prithviraj Kapoor, Dalip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Shabana Azmi and her husband Javed Akhtar, music director Naushad, Mahboob Studio, playback singer Mohammad Rafi, poet Majrooh Sultanpuri, Sahir Ludhianwi, Sohrabmodi-producer actor, and countless more (all came from various backgrounds- Hindus, Muslims, and other religions) and made many classical movies like Mother India, Mugal-e-Azam, Pukaar, etc. Each and every movie from India of yester-years stresses beautifully upon the theme that all human beings are equal. Today we have the topmost actors, like Sharukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amir Khan from the Muslim community. The contribution of Indian film industry to portray India as a secular India is immense and praiseworthy.

  Views of eminent historians and others about India : Now I would take the liberty of recalling the views of some eminent historians and others about India . The following are a few quotations from the famous historians about India and its values; their predictions resonate and are well suited today in our search for lasting world peace.

  1.       Dr. Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889-1975), a British Historian who said, “It is already becoming clear that chapter which had a Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending, if it is not to end in the self-destruction of the human race. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation for mankind is the India way.”

  2.       Will Durant (1885-1981), an American Historian, said,”… Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all. Perhaps in return for conquest, arrogance and spoliation, India will teach us the tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the inquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit, and a unifying, a pacifying-love for all living things.”

  3.       Max Muller (1823-1900), German philologist and Orientalist said “If I were asked under what sky the human mind …has most deeply pondered over the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions to some of them which well deserve the attention…. I should point to India . …To make our inner life more perfect, more comprehensive, more universal, in fact more truly human life … again I should point to India”.

  4.       Mark Twain ( November 30, 1835 ): India is the cradle of the human race, the birth place of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of  legend and great grand mother of tradition.

  5.       French Scholar Romain Rolland (January 29, 1866- December 30, 1944): If there is one place on the earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India .

  6.       Hu Shih, former Chinese ambassador to USA from 1938 to 1942: India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.

  The above a few  examples and quotations are loudly and clearly saying to the world that Indian values are most suited for world peace. For world peace, all the roads from every corner of our Good Earth are leading us to India . I hope that the UN, the world leaders, academia, and all the people worldwide would pay attention to the values India stands for and what India can do for the world peace. India of over billion people of multitudes of diversity is the country that will serve as a role model for world peace.

  I am convinced that if the human race is going to survive and the wonderful dream of lasting world peace will ever materialize, it will only be through the core values that have been very dear to India . Whereas I admire the age-old values cherished by my mother country, India , I feel equally proud to be the citizen of USA that has given me the global vision in my search of world peace.

  India has a will to rise, and one can witness her rising as a functional democracy of over one billion people: the largest democracy in the world. It is an example by itself. India is seen emerging as a booming economy. GDP growth of 9 to 10% is superb. World is looking at India as a source of high tech knowledge-based-center, manufacturing, biotech, pharmaceutical and, many other types of FDI investments and collaborations are happening. India has younger talented people and superb world-class fine educational institutions. Today Indian corporations are in a position to offer to their foreign-employees high salaries, amounting to $200,000 to $300,000 per annum, and have global vision. It is a phenomenal growth and commendable. Yet most importantly, India stands for world peace.

  India is a singularly great example of secularism and a functioning vibrant democracy with thousands of years of civilization and over one billion people. India is home to 140 million Muslims- second largest Muslim population in the world. India has multitudes of religions, languages, thousands of castes, hundreds of political parties and of 675 million voters. It is a dazzling phenomenon in the world.

  It is well known that India had a glorious past. Out of the thousands of instances mirroring the glorious past of India , one example may be cited. Let me quote what Lord Macaulay said when he addressed the British Parliament on February 2, 1835. I quote him, “I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber.” It was only about 173 years ago that Lord Macaulay told us how great India was or the people of India were.

  It is a kind of greatest discovery for many of us or for the majority of Indians and people worldwide that India had the very prosperous economy in the world from year I to the year 1820. This is well documented by the eminent British economic historian Angus Maddison in his book: The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective. Professor Maddison was born in 1926 in Newcastle-on-Tyne , England .  Professor Maddison has held many prestigious positions in teaching and he is Head of the Central analysis Division at Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  He is the author and co-author of 25 books and many articles.  This is a great story for the world that people of India from ancient times of Indus Valley Civilization (3300 -1700 BCE), Vedic Period (1500-500 BCE), Gupta Empire (280-550 CE), Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526), Rashtrakuta (753-982 CE), Vijyanagara Empire (1336-1565) to Mughal Empire (1526-1857) had a prosperous and glorious period.  The people of India of multitudes of diversity made India a rich country and all contributed to its prosperity and cultural blending irrespective of upheavals and other differences.  This is a greatness of India and is a good example for the interconnected and interdependent world yearning for peace.

  It is vividly clear from Lord Macaulay’s observations and the in-depth research by Professor Maddison that India had a rich culture and had been the most prosperous nation for centuries.

  It would be worth mentioning here that during the Maurya Empire (c. 321-185 BC), Arthasastra (science of state) was written by Chanakya, an advisor to Chandragupta Maurya.  Arthsastra is the most important text on economics, politics and administration.  It does tell us that India has all the ingredients from its culture of tolerance, co-existence ideology and richness in thoughts and human values.

  Constitution of India : The constitution of India is secular and democratic. The Prime Ministers of India have come from varied background and from the different regions of India . Today Prime Minister of India is Manmohan Singh from Sikh religion. And out of thirteen, three Presidents have been from Muslim community (Zakir Hussain, Fakuruddin Ali Ahmed, and the most recent A.P.J Abdul Kalam), and now since July 21, 2007 India has Pratibha Patil, a woman President. Hamid Ansari, a Muslim was sworn-in as the 13^th Vice-President on August 11, 2007 and he is the third Muslim vice president of India . The President of ruling Congress Party is Sonia Gandhi, an Italian born Catholic. This is what India stands for and has to offer to the world.

  Now, I would say that countless interfaith initiatives, dialogues, discussions have taken place and are going on, and volumes of literature have been written but we have not found the answer to world peace.  Practically nothing is working.  Our world situation is worsening.

  ·          My book: How to achieve worldwide Prosperity and Peace provides a most suited vision plan –a framework.  It is original and a pioneering work as a result of decades of my search for the answers to the challenges facing us. I have received several awards.  I have excellent credentials.

  ·         The President of World Religions Association and author of over 28 inspirational books stated that he was thrilled to read my book and has not seen such work anywhere. This book belongs to every house in the world and the author deserves Nobel Peace Prize.

  I declare to the people all over the world that it is my conviction and my prediction, “If ever world peace will dawn on this planet earth, it will be through the unique values of India ”.

  Yes, India is transforming to become a developed nation. Support for India is to support world peace. I have tried to present here in a very condensed way that the core Indian values are most needed for world peace. One can write volumes and volumes but the crux of the matter is that for the seekers of world peace this article provides the foundation to build upon a world peace plan for UN member nations.

  Finally, we need to ask a question: Do we really want world peace? If the answer is yes; then we need to have a world peace foundation based on Indian values with global vision. The culture of peace needs to be cultivated among the world leaders, various institutions, UN and allover the world. Indian core values hold the key to the cherished world peace.

  If some one asks me what is the ultimate truth? I say “Life begins and life ends. It is our good deeds that count”. Our world has to come to the grip that we cannot continue to hate each other, fight and fight and finally destroy each other. We live in a global village. We are interdependent and interconnected. We need each other. Indian values are not just for India . These are good for all human beings. We must not forget that the ultimate purpose of life is compassion and love. In my opinion, we are wasting trillions of dollars worldwide to kill each other. We can definitely and it is the right thing to use this enormous amount in trillions of dollars for the benefit of mankind. There is no need to destroy each other.

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The Author Mr. Santosh C. Verma is a USA based NRI and  is the founder and president of two foundations: International World Peace Foundation (IWPF), and International Foundation for the Economic Development of India (IFEDI), established for researching and promoting a vision plan for world peace and prosperity for India and other developing nations. He is the Author of book on How to Achieve Worldwide Prosperity and Peace. It is available on Amazon.com. He can also be contacted on verma105@hotmail.com

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