Nobody over the globe can forget the name of Martin Luther King Junior, who was an ardent follower of Gandhian philosophy of ahimsa (non-violence). I was listening to his speech, “I have a dream,“ and felt proud of such a great person who fought for the dignity of humans.
His work for humanity changed the direction of the world. He changed history. I sought inspiration from Martin Luther King Junior and wrote a poem which fits hand-in-hand with India’s contemporary situation:
I have a dream,
To see the happy faces of the Indian people.
I have a dream,
to not listen to any news of the killing of the innocent people in our daily life.
I have a dream,
Police could have lathis or guns but,
Not to shoot innocent students.
I have a dream,
Where the government listen to the voices of India.
I have a dream,
Where people love India with their heart all over the world.
I have a dream,
Where every citizen of India is equal,
They can love each other, can marry each other;
And walk freely all over India.
I have a dream,
To see the happy face of Kashmir, the northeast, UP and Delhi,
I have a dream to see, listen and feel
The happy voices of India
I have a dream.
The changing patterns of the socio-political nexus push us to think again and again on the path of ahimsa, which is a great philosophy from India. From Ashoka to Gandhi, Nelson Mandela to Malala Yousafzai, there are so many great persons, who taught the whole world that there is one solution to any problem: non-violence, which has the power to save humanity.
The languages of the socio-political scenario badly affect Indian society, which can lead India in a different direction than where it should be going. We have to think deeply, on the path of ahimsa. It is well described by Gandhi that ahimsa is not the path of cowardice, it is the path of bold people.
It is easy to shoot people and stop their voices, however, it is nothing but the work of a coward. It is too difficult to listen to the voices of people and find solutions. The writer Rhonda Byrne wrote in her book The Secret, “There is no greater power than the power of love. The feeling of love is the highest frequency you can emit. If you can wrap every thought in love, if you could love everyone, your life would be transformed.”
This sentiment, spoken by Malala is very relevant in this era, “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”
And we never forget the message of Mahatma Gandhi, “My life is my message.” In his whole life, Gandhi worked a lot all over the world through the path of ahimsa. It is time to rethink his message.
I wrote a Hindi poem, to raise our voices through the path of ahimsa, it will definitely echo in the whole world:
चुप रहना भी गुनाह है,
जब भीतर की आवाज
बोलने के लिये, अंदर से ही
धक्का देती हो.
चुप रहने से
औरो को मौका मिल जाता है,
फिर वो कुछ भी करते है.
तुम परिणाम की सोचो,लेकिन उसके बाद भी चुप रह गये तो?
बोलो,
जरुर बोलो, सब मिल कर बोलो,
वैसे ही बोलने के लिये तैयार रहो,
जैसे मार्तिन लूथर बोला था,
जैसे मलाला और ग्रेता बोली है.
तुम भी बोलो,
जानते हो जरुरत है आज पूरी दुनिया को
तुम्हारे बोलने के साहस की…
English translation:
It is a crime to remain silent,
When the voice inside your head
Struggles to speak.
By staying silent,
You give others space
To wreak whatever havoc they wish.
Of course, think of the eventual result,
But will you still remain silent?
Speak, speak with conviction, speak in unison,
Come what may, be prepared to speak
The way Martin Luther spoke out
How Malala and Greta speak out.
You too, raise your voice.
You know it is important in today’s world
For your courageous words to be spoken.