Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's address at International Conference on Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment - Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century

"I am truly delighted to be here at this historic gathering. This Conference is not just a tribute to a man, or to the ideas and ideals he came to symbolize. This Conference is a prayer. It is a prayer in remembrance of the continued relevance of the message of the Mahatma Gandhi for our times. Indeed, for all times.

The ideas that Mahatma Gandhi is remembered for are based on universal ideals. Many "Isms" battle for our minds, but few succeed in touching our hearts. Many political ideologies have come and gone over the past century, some with doubtful legacies and others with terrible consequences. The only political philosophy that I believe will remain relevant for as long as humankind seeks peace, peace in our societies, peace between nations and peace with nature, will be the ideas and values we associate with Mahatma Gandhi.

These ideas and values are today remembered not just when we gather to celebrate the life and teachings of Gandhiji. They are remembered across the world when people gather to honour the legacy of his many disciples - like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa, and scores of others who have opted for the path of non-violence in the struggle for purposeful social change.

We in India are truly honored and humbled by the global response to this magnificent Conference. I salute each one of our distinguished guests who are here today. We gather here to commemorate the centenary of Gandhiji's first Satyagraha. We began these celebrations last September in South Africa, where it all started a hundred years ago.

I salute the Gandhian vision of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu who inspired South Africans to practice what Mahatma Gandhi preached. The great liberation of South Africa and the end of Apartheid, have shown that it is possible to resolve even the bitterest of differences with a spirit of reconciliation. I am, therefore, delighted that we have in our midst Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Why do we celebrate Satyagraha? We do so because of the timeless relevance of this unique form of assertion of the human dignity and the human spirit. Gandhiji himself explained the term Satyagraha in these words:

"Truth (Satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force....the Force which is born of Truth and love or non-violence."

As long as we live in a world of conflict, as long as human societies are divided by differences, as long as people resort to might to assert their right, there will always be a Gandhian to remind us of the power of truth, of love, of compassion, of peace. That is why I believe Mahatma Gandhi was the most modern thinker of the 20th century.

The essence of Gandhiji's political philosophy was the empowerment of every individual, irrespective of caste, class, creed or community. Representative democracy is the institutional form in which modern societies have sought to empower individuals. Democracy is not just about periodic elections. Democracy is not just about keeping alive democratic institutions. Democracy is about respecting the innate rights of all human beings. Democracy is about tolerance. Democracy is about asserting the right to dissent. Democracy is about protecting the dignity and self-respect of every human being.

There is no corner of the world where the message of the Mahatma is still not relevant. It is a message that we also associate with the teachings of all the great religions of the world. No religion teaches intolerance. No religion preaches violence. No religion advocates injustice. Every religion echoes the deep and abiding faith of humankind in the power of peace and compassion. That message must go forth from this Conference.

When I say Mahatma Gandhi was the most modern thinker of the 20th century, I say so because of the overwhelming relevance today of the key ideas that Gandhiji put forth. Satyagraha and Ahimsa - peaceful resistance and non-violence - were two such ideas. As I said, we have seen the wonders they continue to perform in transforming diverse societies across all continents. They have been able to give shape to dissent in a manner that has enabled peaceful transition through bloodless revolutions.

We must respect the value of dissent. But those who dissent must also respect the value of building a viable consensus. We must foster tolerance for the other point of view. Every one has a right to be heard, and must be heard. We must learn to listen to the other point of view. Violent conflict never allows this. Violence deafens us. Non-violence helps us to hear.

A civilized society must offer space for discussion and dialogue. All human progress must be based on the firm foundation of societal consensus. But in a modern democracy, we must respect the role of institutions that seek to create and translate that consensus into policy action.

Satyagraha should never be viewed as a means of obstructing dialogue or obstructing change. I believe Gandhiji always viewed it as a means to a dialogue, as an instrument of change and progress. Satyagraha was, therefore, not an end in itself. It was a means to an end. That end being the liberation of all people, their peaceful co-existence and, above all, their well-being and progress.

There are other ideas of Gandhiji that are also of great relevance today. They are relevant to the way we wish to organize our societies and our polity. They are relevant to the way we wish to conduct national and international affairs. They are relevant to the path of development we wish to pursue.

One such idea is captured by Gandhiji's statement that the "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." In this simple statement on sustainable development Mahatma Gandhi showed us the value of high thinking and simple living. The concern for our environment that now envelops civil society across the globe is best articulated by this simple statement. I do sincerely believe that the world cannot sustain the lifestyles of the affluent. We need a new development paradigm that caters to everyone's need and can keep in check human greed.

A second idea of equally great relevance to our world today, an idea that can foster peace between peoples, cultures, nations and civilizations, is captured by Mahatma Gandhiji's statement, and I quote: "I do not want to stay in a house with all its windows and doors shut. I want a house with all its windows and doors open where the cultural breezes of all lands and nations blow through my house. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any."

This pluralism, this liberalism, this commitment to an open society and an open polity, I believe also an open economy, is what shaped our national movement under Gandhiji's leadership. These wise words must guide us all in this era of globalisation.

If there is one message India should be remembered for, and identified with, it is the message of the Mahatma. The message of tolerance, of pluralism, of the need to "live and let live". Every civilized society must respect human freedoms, must care for the poorest of the poor and must enable the co-existence of all religions, all languages, all colours and creeds.

Our pluralism is our biggest and most enduring tribute to the father of our Nation. As long as the "idea of India" lives in our hearts and minds, the legacy of the Mahatma will live on.

This "idea of India" is the idea of "unity in diversity". The idea of pluralism, the idea that there need be no "conflict of civilizations", the idea that it is possible for us to facilitate and work for a "confluence of civilizations". These ideas, I believe, have a universal, a truly global relevance. In a world enveloped by the darkness of conflict and hatred, these ideas come as rays of sunshine, lighting up our lives, giving us hope, renewing our faith in our common humanity.

I sincerely hope this conference can convey this message to the world. I thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts."