Relevance of Gandhian Ideology in Conflict Resolution

Abstract

After the end of Second World War, international issues became very active to resolve the conflicts, at all the levels and to establish peace. Today, the entire world particularly the developing countries are passing through a period of transition in which the rate of change is very fast, leading to great uncertainty and insecurity in the minds of the people. Modern world is full of multidimensional and multidisciplinary conflicts involving use of physical and psychological tools. Though everyone is aiming at the conflict free world, but conflicts are at their highest level of history. Conflict resolution aims at the elimination of the source of conflict. The history of mankind shows how great men have always struggled and fought against prevailing social evils and human sufferings. Out of those men in human history, the twentieth century produced one outstanding personality- Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi taught, the people of India, it’s very first lessons of peace, tolerance, truth & non-violence, Satyagraha, the non-cooperation movement, the quit India Movement, the Dandi March, and of belief in one’s own faith. Gandhi responded to the challenges of the given historical situations, realized the historical necessities of their time and tried to actualize the needs and aspirations of the people of his times in his own ways. Gandhiji tried to evolve a revolutionary approach to political and social change. His originality lay in the formulation of a new technique of non-violent, non-cooperation and Satyagraha for social action. Gandhi had given his theories on resolving the conflicts to this changing world.