Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:40:15 +0300


Mahatma Gandhi once said, the root cause of ignorance, extremism, crime and social disorder is violence. If we remember Mahatma Gandhi's biography. South Africa opened his eyes, when he saw the human suffering. His return to India was to rescue many people from suffering. How great he was. Buddha, Martin Luther King, and Gandhi are the epitomes of non-violence. Mahatma Gandhi's teachings of self rule and philosophy of reconciliation is what Kenya needs today, to get out of the quagmire we are in today.

Violence is the deliberate infliction of psychic or physical pain by a person on another person. It is psychic torture by my definition; the pain is nearly as much as beatings or humiliation.

All peace lovers using the non violence method assume an anti violence cause. However, considering the latter as a way to at least reduce violence somewhat, consider that asocial behavior of all kinds is a consequence of the combination of ignorance and aggression -- formal education partially helps, and employment partially helps, but nobody pays any attention to that source of our problems.

Thus, Kenya today desperately needs another Mahatma Gandhi to get out of the political turmoil, anarchic situation. Mahatma Gandhi is one leader I have always admired the most. Gandhi stands tall amongst all world leaders. His philosophy and teachings have resonated around the world as a leader of non violence, spiritual living, and independence. What Gandhi did to the upliftment of Harijans in India, Abraham Lincoln did to the liberation of African American slaves in America. Today our violence prone world with wars, terrorism, and genocide happening around the world, needs another Gandhi to show us the way with peace marches and prayers.

At least he would have stood up to speak the truth and lead the people to understanding, reconciliations and establish permanent peace. He would certainly have supported the ideas of democracy, freedoms, and people's representations. Gandhi would see to it that no women, people with disability and minority tribes would be left out of the governing body.

India struggled to modern nationhood through the courage of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi represents the light, beauty and strength of the human spirit in times of global war, totalitarianism and economic upheavals. Kenya today desperately needs another Mahatma Gandhi to get out of the political turmoil, anarchic situation.

He would have asked the people with his long marches, and prayer meetings to come to terms with the truth and peace. Mahatma in his own ways would have first demanded that the two political divides to first surrender, and renounce all forms of violence before being forming a government that is united and represents the interests of all Kenyans.

    Silas Omenda
    Research Executive Assistant
    Consumer Options Limited
    silas@consumeroptions.co.ke