Violent Images Make Us Insensitive

19 September 2001, 03:13am IST
Sudhamahi Regunathan, TNN.

One morning the faculty of jain vishva bharati university and i were having discussions on the need for training and education in non-violence. as a graduate and postgraduate course it seemed to attract few students and yet, we felt it had relevance to all sections of society.


a few hours later, on the same day, the whole world was shocked by the heinous attacks carried out in the us. our senses recoiled at the acts of terrorism. that people could move to such levels of cruelty was beyond the imagination of most of us. we could imagine the anguish of those trapped in the hijacked aircraft. we lamented the unfair snuffing out of the lives of unsuspecting and innocent people trapped within the towers. the shock was so great that even tears dried up in horror. i recollect a verse by harshavardhana in his play nagananda where jimutavahana's father, lamenting on his son's death, says, ``patience has become helpless, where has benevolence gone? charity has vanished and compassion seems to be dead.''

i find television networks playing and replaying the horrific shots of the collapse of the towers, the sorrow of the bereaved and the suffering of those looking for their loved ones who are missing. gradually as the shots appear and re-appear, the shock is replaced with sadness and helplessness. additional shots of some who were rejoicing created anger, a reaction that could only worsen the situation. soon a time will come when we accept this act as a distinct possibility and look towards the sky as unrestricted space for destructive imagination. here begins the process of de-sensitisation and of widening the frontiers of violence; of accepting and tolerating acts, which are so violent that they negate the very meaning of life.

to build a consensus against the arms race, each one of us can make a significant difference. this is the time, if we really have concern for humanity, concern for our own children, to assert our belief in non-violence. violence has taken us nowhere. may be more cold-blooded acts are still possible; this is not the end of possibilities. no one is safe in this atmosphere of fear.

let's take this as an opportunity to understand non-violence, and to explore and expand its potential. since both violence and non-violence is a state of the mind, social intervention is possible. let us endorse our faith in non-violence. let us try and bring about a change in our mind set. it should not be difficult. all of us have recoiled on witnessing this incident, which means we have a natural tendency towards non-violence.

acharya mahaprajna says that non-violence is founded on the three basic principles of amity, tolerance and fearlessness. most spiritual leaders would concur with this seemingly simple definition. if we go further, we arrive at a step-by-step methodology to reach a non-violent state of mind or a peaceful mind. that is the first step towards global peace. policy decisions and global actions may be bound by considerations of administration to keep discipline and order. this may seemingly keep them away from opting for non-violence immediately. but as individuals who form part of society, we can make a beginning.

each individual's step is significant and contributory. a story is told about the able minister chanakya. touring the countryside in disguise, he halted in a small village. an old woman offered him a meal. chankaya was ravenous. he accepted the invitation. the modest woman served him a meal of hot steaming rice with accompaniments. chankaya delved into the centre of the portion of rice on his plate. no sooner had he done that he pulled out his fingers in pain for the rice had been very hot. ``oh dear!'' exclaimed the old woman. ``you are indeed, like our stupid minister, chanakya.'' now chanakya was doubly shocked. on asking the old lady for an explanation he heard her saying, ``never begin at the centre of the problem. chanakya plans his attacks on the capital city. he loses and goes back. he should begin at the periphery and slowly make towards the centre.'' even without finishing his meal chanakya strode his horse towards the palace having learnt this new technique for success. the beginning is thus always small and at the periphery. but it will unfailingly lead to the centre, one day.