PEACE

When we hear others, we do not necessarily absorb every word being spoken but often there are some words and some phrases that catch our attention. My chemistry professor spoke on a lot of things, atoms, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, Young’s experiment and Schrödinger’s wave equation. Of all that I have ever heard from him, there is one phrase that stands out in my memory. Once, he deviated from chemistry to explain the order of the world to us. He said, “The World is ruled by power and fear.”

He explained and justified his statement. But I never believed him. On a philosophical note I believed that love rules us, on a realistic note, I believed that a democracy ruled us. I listened patiently to all of his explanations but I never accepted his statement even for a moment.

This was an event that happened a year ago. These words were buried deep in the store room of my mind. Last week, when I heard the experiences of an Iraqi refugee, I was compelled to dust off my year old memory and replay it. Suddenly and frighteningly there was a ring of truth to it.

What is it that compels a nation to wage a war with another nation? History stands testament to the fact that all wars could have been avoided. We have always refrained from understanding history therefore we continue to wage wars. Why are we being so ignorant?

It is because we want to prove to the whole world that we can not be messed with. We want to establish the fact that we are powerful, we have a strong military and lots of nuclear arsenal.

World war II could have been avoided entirely had Hitler gotten over with his obsession to prove to the world that Aryans were the most powerful human race. The ensuing cold war between the United States of America and the Soviet Union would have never taken place if the USA was not hungry for the title of the most powerful country in the world and if the Soviet Union was not fearful of losing its title of the most powerful country of the world. The Kargil war would have never taken place had Hindus and Muslims not lost sleep over which religion was powerful enough to snatch a piece of land.

We all know that wars scar our lands and seas. They ravage countries and end up changing the course of history. We have time and again said that the World does not deserve any more wars. Yet, no one has ever said that their part of the world does not deserve power. No nation has ever felt secure of its standing as far as being powerful is concerned. All nations constantly worry over the fact that the rest of the world perceives it to be weak. They worry that they are not powerful enough to intimidate and gain the respect of the remaining world. In a desire to prove their power nations wage wars, conduct nuclear tests, indulge in cold wars, spy on other countries and create an atmosphere of distrust and insecurity.

These reflections have greatly depressed me. My belief in love and democracy is maimed. If power and fear are all that rule the world today then can we ever expect peace?