War and Peace

After witnessing the total destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, God decided to have a teleconference with America, Russia and England who had emerged as the most powerful nations on earth. First He asked Russia what they want so as to stop the recurrence of another war. Russia replied, “Being communist, we don’t believe in You. However, if you are as powerful as claimed by your believers then please annihilate America from the Earth. Thereafter there will be peace on earth.” Disappointed with the Russian answer, God turned to America and repeated His question. America said, “We believe in Your power. If you really wish to see peace on earth, please wipe-out the name of Russia from the map of the earth.” By now God was thoroughly disgusted. With flickering hope of peace, God now turned to England and posed the same question. England most humbly replied, “We don’t have any wish of ours. Just fulfill the wishes of both America and Russia.”

This is surely a joke. But, the message is real. We are told that a ‘war’ is being fought to bring ‘peace’. But, each war leads to yet another war somewhere else. Manufacturing arms and ammunitions is perhaps the biggest industry in the world. What would happen to this industry without wars? What is it that drives humans to go into wars? We seem to have forgotten the meaning of co-existence. This is perhaps because we are confused on the real meaning of ‘winning’. Every outward desire to win is a sign of some defeat within. Greater the urge to conquer the world, emptier the person is from within. However, the fact remains that no amount of external conquests can fill the void within. Hence, all efforts ought to be directed inward. We must fight fiercest war within with our own weaknesses, negative tendencies and wrong ideas.

Recently, while visiting a village fare in India, I chanced into a small gathering where a young poet was reciting his fresh poetry. One couplet struck a deep chord in me. Roughly translated, it means, “No one is eager to tread the path of righteousness. But everyone is ready to fight in the name of God.”

Let’s welcome the New Year and the New Decade with a resolve to give peace a genuine chance.