Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Speech of Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Presentation of the Gandhi Peace Prize to John Hume

Respected Rashtrapatiji,

Up Rashtrapatiji,

Honorable Mr. John Hume and Mrs. Hume

Distinguished Guests,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here today on this august occasion to honor Mr. John Hume, one of the main architect of peace in Northern Ireland, with the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2001.

The Gandhi Peace Prize recognizes such persons who have applied Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts in their actions, bringing peace in their part of the world.

The overriding principle of Gandhiji, for which he continues to remain as relevant in the 21st century as he was in the 20th century, was the insistence on the use of non-violence to achieve political or national goals. His lifelong mission was to transform the lives of individuals and communities through a non-violent endeavor.

Mr. John Hume is an outstanding example of the same thinking. For more than three decades, he has applied the principles of Gandhian thought and action to bring peace to troubled Northern Island and at the same time elevated the dignity and self-respect of his people.

He eschewed violence, reached out to those engaged in violence, and played a leading role in bringing together two communities divided by religion, separated by mistrust, but united by geography and destiny.

I can only quote from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech: “Bloodshed for political change prevents the only change that truly matters: in the human heart.”

He added that he wanted to “see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them”.

Mr. John Hume has patiently and doggedly lived for his ideals. He has encouraged others to stop fighting and to start talking, among both republicans and unionists.

For many years, when others talked the language of the gun, he spoke of peace and democracy—always inspired by one of his heroes, Martin Luther King, who in turn, as we all know, was inspired by the Mahatma.

This in itself is worth emulation in today’s world where terrorism and mindless violence continue to menace human life in almost every continent of the world.

In bestowing the prize to Mr. Hume, we are paying tribute to a great humanist and peace activist who set in motion the peace process in Ireland, culminating in the Good Friday agreement. He has personified the aspirations of millions of his countrymen who constituted the silent majority dreaming of peace and prosperity.

Even his political opponents and critics acknowledge that he symbolizes an era of “saintly-politics”. The world needs more saints like him, active in public and political life.

I congratulate Mr. John Hume on behalf of my countrymen and me and hope that the world will emulate him in this period of global unrest. I hope, too, that he will continue to inspire the world to walk down the path of peace and non-violence that Gandhiji so powerfully laid before humanity.

Thank you.