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Kollam
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that contemporary politics and international relations appear to be drifting away from knowledge and increasingly moving towards “darkness”.
Speaking at an event marking the centenary of a historic meeting between Mahatma Gandhi and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, Gandhi said that in today’s world there is little effort to understand opposing viewpoints, with disagreements often leading to violence.
“Today we see in our politics and international relations that people are moving towards darkness and away from knowledge. There is no attempt to understand the other person; instead, they are bombed and killed,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with domestic politics, Gandhi alleged that political differences are increasingly met with hostility. “If you disagree with someone, you attack them or become violent towards them,” he said.
The Congress leader noted that both Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru stood firmly against such tendencies and promoted values of love, respect, forgiveness and mutual understanding. He added that these principles are also reflected in the Indian Constitution.
Referring to the two leaders as guides and teachers, Gandhi said their ideas continue to provide direction to society. He remarked that while paying floral tributes to Narayana Guru’s statue is easy, the real challenge lies in practising his teachings.
Speaking about Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle against British rule, Gandhi said the freedom movement highlighted the difference between “force” and “power”.
“The British Empire had force but not power. Gandhiji had no force, but he had the truth, and therefore he had power,” he said.
He also described Narayana Guru as one of the most influential figures of his time despite lacking material wealth or political authority.
“He did not have money or a fancy car, but he was easily the most powerful man in Kerala in his era,” Gandhi said, noting that the large turnout of political leaders at the centenary event demonstrated the enduring influence of Narayana Guru’s ideas.
Gandhi added that the message of both Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru to those who spread hatred and violence is that such paths ultimately lead only to loss.
“The political struggle in India is similar. On one side there is truth, non-violence and humility; on the other side there is anger, hatred and arrogance. Those who rely on violence may have force, but they do not have real power,” he said.
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Calling it an honour to attend the event, Gandhi said he bowed his head to both Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi for showing India the path it should follow.