Sunday, June 20, 2010

Critique of Nonviolent Politics


Peace has often been a ploy. A ploy to tame the people. Whenever the oppressed people tried to break free of their chains the oppressor cried out. "peace, peace...non violence..." They gave awards, Nobels and continued their oppression.

In India Gandhi used this trick with great dexterity and succeeded in cornering Ambedkar and his people. And even now Gandhi's disciples apply this weapon of peace very effectively. When the Adivasis and Dalits of India put up a great fight, the Brahmins dust off Gandhi and advise the oppressed to give up their violence. But these advocates of nonviolence never ask the oppressors to give up their violence; violence that forced more than 200000 farmers in India to end their lives; violence that kills through diseases and malnutrition. In fact the Gandhians never feel this as violence.

Here in this book Howard Ryan deals with this topic of nonviolence. It was written a few years back and its not about the new found love of some of our intellectuals for Gandhi. However this work remains relevant even now.

Those who are interested may read it. The link is here





-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No comments:

Followers