E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi’s Pancha Mahavrat… 59whether they are located in the institution of state or civilsociety.He strongly pleaded for non-violence as an effectivemeans for social and moral uplift. He advanced a number ofarguments in favour of non-violence. In the first place,humankind from the time immemorial is gradually movingtowards a non-violent social order. According to him,humankind might have ended itself by mutual butchery in theabsence of non-violence. Secondly, he argued that non-violenceis more in consonance with basic human nature than violence.Humankind is basically peace-loving specie. Thirdly, humanexperience teaches us that unless violence is met by nonviolenceits chain could not be broken. Fourthly, the only waythe weak could defend themselves is the non-violent way, asthey would be a loser in any armed struggle. In a non-violentresistance, all that they need is a stout heart. Fifthly, violencebrutalises both the perpetrators as well as the victims. On theother hand, non-violence raises and strengthens the moral fibersof both the weak and the mighty. What is more, it might evenmelt the brutalised heart of the perpetrators of injustice. So,whether on the count of expediency or the moral principle, nonviolenceappears to be the only panacea for all the sufferings ofthe weak as well as for melting the brutalised heart of themighty.New Dimensions of Non-violenceGandhi added a number of new dimensions to thetheory and practice of non-violence. These dimensionsprovided the theoretical basis for the concept of non-violenceand also they worked as practical aid to its practice. Some ofthem were:Truth and Non-violence: For him non-violence was closelylinked-up with truth. In fact, he found them inseparable,describing them as ‘twins’ and the two sides of the same coin..