Is Gandhi’s nonviolent protest system a total solution to political problems?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) is believed to have been born into a Hindu family on October 2, 1869. It is clear that the man he grew up to be was influenced by his family’s heritage, as his father, Kaba Gandhi, was a powerful political figure who was portrayed as a courageous, honest, short-tempered, and generous man. His mother, on the other hand, was profoundly religious and had a good sense of common sense, and as mentioned in the novel, Gandhi’s mother had a decisive impact on his life (Gandhi and Dalton 5). In most cases, it is particularly ideological to wonder if it is wrong or right to assume that at various times it is not possible to solve the major political problems and even issues that the world is facing right now. Gandhi’s concept is simple in a way, at times it might seem stubborn but still in other times righteous. Although the credits for the country’s independence may not exclusively be his, it taught the world a new yet distinct way to achieve the improbable, millions of people often believed in him and even followed him. Therefore, one may wonder if situations or problems such as the Iraq conflict, North Korean autocracy, Israel-Palestine conflict and so much more could be solved by putting this kind of method into practice. Especially those facing them directly.

Answers to Political Problems

In the book, there is a clear indication that Gandhi had noticed the terrible cost of political violence in which millions of lives were lost in revolution and acts of war. Also, there was a broad range of assassinations that involved a wide spectrum of beliefs and even ideologies (Gandhi, p.4). As a result of this, Gandhi developed a method of “satyagraha” that offered a new direction in regards to politics. However, as much as Gandhi supported nonviolent actions in politics it was no easy task. Most scholars and Gandhi’s admirers have even stated that violence in most cases has proved to be dysfunctional for any political agenda (Gandhi and Dalton 5). However, in regards to the question Gandhi’s system of nonviolent protest can solve some political problems but not entirely.

A Man is a Self-Governing Being

In the book, he goes on to state that a man is a self-governing being and by this, he tends to mean that self-government tends to include the power that commits errors as to set them right as in most cases they are made (Gandhi and Dalton 31). Therefore, if leaders would look for non-violent acts other than rushing to wars so as to solve disputes there is a high likelihood that this would work. But looking at it in regards to the world we are living right now great confrontation strategies often intensify to the level where the parties’ are concerned with vengeance, conquest and even self-defense. In such scenarios, the ethical argument of individuals who are being preserved as irrelevant in an unjust manner is that violent strategies are used and thus, justifications happen violently. In most cases, this problem tends to be complicated in that both sides frequently contend that the other hand is the one that started the violence.

Non-Violent Strategies and Ethical Legitimacy

Therefore the non-violent strategies are intended to evade the ruse of declining to be drawn into a ferocious confrontation. Other than being weak, this tends to be an approach that needs a lot of self-control and courage as well as the readiness to bear the intensified pain and in some cases demise. However, the strong point of pacifism tends to lie in its aptitude to reduce the ethical legitimacy of the people who tend to continue using brutal tactics against the non-violent opposition. This legitimacy loss can then add to coalition-building exertions that lead to extensive parties condemnation that use violent approaches and also the imposition of consents by the global community. In heart, non-violent confrontation tends to be a tactic that is used in countering the power of violent force with the integrative system power. Also, numerous other non-violent methods can be effective and efficient when used for illegal purposes of political, lawful and other sorts of force.

Conclusion

For non-violence approaches to solving political problems is if the groups involved base their battle on largely supported ethical principles and facilitate a communication plan that will publicize the whole world to observe the violent and immoral actions of their adversaries. Individuals cannot be anticipated to avoid things that they do not know. For this to succeed these public efforts needs the occurrence of unbiased and broadly trusted onlookers, as well as a dash of theater. Either way, communication tactics that are effective should effectively contest for the prominent coverage on radio, newspaper and also television.

Independence and Freedom

Gandhi believed that independence of every country is truly in the same sense and also to the same extent that freedom of each man is. Therefore, there is no fundamental incapacity for any self-governing country, and thus there is no inherent capacity for any governing nations (Gandhi and Dalton 31).

Work Cited

Gandhi, Mahatma, and Dennis Dalton. Gandhi: Selected Political Writings. Hackett Publishing, 2004.