Section 08 To Section -10Jainworld2022-08-26T10:55:06-06:00

Section 08 To Section -10

A Geographic Search for Global Peace

* Prof. M. G. Bhasin

Born on 31 Dec, 1928, at Malkhani ( Punjab ) Educated in Punjab. Joined Dayanand College, Solapur in 1951. As Head, Dept. of Geography became Chairman, B. O; S. in Geography, Geology, Meteorology, member, B. U. T. R. and Academic Council for three consecutive terms. Member, Courses Committee in Geography, Pune Divil. Borad of Maharashtra Secondary School Examination, Pune For a year Recognised as a post graduate Teacher Ph. D. Guide.

Completed three research papers, contributed six chapters in Six Books, presented more than 50 papers at Seminars/Symposia / Workshops/ conferences at National/ Regional and International level.

Presently working as Principal Vision Education Society’s Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Solapur. On visiting faculty for M. A./M. B. A. and M. S. W., was made honorary member, Rotary Club of Solapur East in 1991.

“Map me, no maps, Sir, my head is a map, a map of the whole world ”

-Henry Fielding, Rape upon Rape.

As the ecological crisis grows, as distances shrink, we are finally becoming aware of :-

i) We are all inhabitants of the single world, what Barbara Ward has termed as the ” Spaceship Earth “. Whereas others fondly may express it as “Cradle Earth “, ” Mother Earth “, ” Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ” The world is one family.

ii) Places continue to converge upon one another in both cost and time. This is best reflected in acceleration of change-a mind-boggling phenomena; and

iii) “Political crisis”, “Energy crisis”, ” Personal crisis “, “Economic crisis” ï¿½ï¿½ I believe they have one common element-mismanagement. Obviously, many people do not manage well;

Mankind to-day, is confronted with problem-ridden situations, conflicts and chaos. Curiously enough, their intensity, and magnitude is increasing in al I walks of life. Of course, humorists may say that man himself is a problem; In simple words, the problems that keep each one worrying today are :

1) Are we safe?

2) Are we happy ?

3) Do we leave behind a good, noble heritage ?

Geographic Elements:

Geography does not speak, it is. In the past, it has experienced many waves of marked expansion that generated many questions and endless debates; questions rotating and revolving round what is where, why, when, how and by whom. This focus, however, is always on-places and people or people and places. Some noteworthy, questions worth a recall are :-

1) Is Geography one or many ?

2) The whole earth is not the unique subject matter of Geography.

3) Geography is what the Geographers do.

4) Geography changes geographers and Geographers change Geography, and

5) Geography is equally concerned or involved with problems what to do, and how to live and live with dignity and peace.

With this perspective, a geographic search on global peace will be seen basically consisting of Three Elements, namely,

1) Places-diverse in location, size contents and functions

2) People-too many, too few, too high-too low; too rich too poor etc. etc; and

3 ) Their Relationships-Biassed/distorted and unbalanced.

Fig. 1 has been designed and prepared to show how inequality and injustice in 4 types of space, namely, Political, Economic, Social and cultural have produced chaos and crisis on The Earth we live in. This is pointed out by 16 Dï¿½s ( Deaths, Disturbances, Destruction’s, Despairs, Discriminations, Dealings, Dependence, Disputes, Distortions, Dislocations, Deprivations, Diseases, Denials, Dissatisfactions, and Disgust as well as 16 Iï¿½s ( Indecision, Inconsistencies, Imbalances, Illiteracy, Intolerance, Idolatory, Indecent, Intimidation, Interpretations, Ill-treatment, Illhealth, Illegal, Instructing, Illusions, Imperfections, Insults ). The emergent situation that seems to emerge is disappointing, alarming and signal doom and unwittingly mass suicide.

VICIOUS CIRCALS OF CONFLICT CRISIS

Fig. 2 represents conflict-chaos vicious circle; of course Initiating from desires, cravings which have their sources in pleasure and or pains. Undoubtedly, these two diagrams offer greatest challenges and opportunities not to contain academic and professionals but also to the public at large.

Solution For Peace :

Peace is indivisible but seems to be breaking into pieces. Geographically perceived some of the features representing areas of chaos on conflict situation are :

1 ) Political maps are less static and more dynamic;

2 ) Regional interests keep emerging and dominating;

3 ) There is more of politics and less of welfare governments;

4 ) Quality of life is deteriorating and living a drudgery; and

5 ) Dilution of unifying or poisoning forces, over the globe. This all, represents here much distorted relationshipsï¿½ between the urban man and unstable earth ï¿½

Fig. 3 has been made to ensure, insure and assureï¿½ global peace by inter-linking or inter-relating, interconnecting ( i ) Balanced personalities, ( ii ) Quality Environment, ( iii ) Rational Resource-use, ( iv ) Wise decisions, and,( v ) Dedicated work with places in chaos and crisis in such a manner that this simultaneity will, without any doubts, produce or provide, global peace. The same intent is expressed in the formula-

B. P. + Q. E. + R. R. U. )2 = G. P.

In fulfilment of this goal or objective, PEACE will stand for as below :

P urposeful

E nergetic

A bilities

C reative

E njoyable.

Conclusion

The achievement and maintenance or preservation of peace is neither easy nor simple. Primarily because “man complex” is restless by nature and is the inhabitant of, unstable earth.

The goal of peace is achievable only by “World comprehension” “Thinking Geographically and acting Geographically.” Let the motto “Unity in diversity” be made.

2) Avoid emphasis on the unique or ego limited aims and vested interests.

3) Employ the greatest gift of nature given to us “the highly developed brain” or “intelligence” in making the Planet Earth a paradise of which our children will be proud of.

May God bless you with Peace with dignity and honour.

“Peace” The Cry of Mankind

* Mrs. Prabha S. Gandag

How do you expect the world peace on empty stomach ? How do you expect it when the daily required commodities are vanishing from the market? How do you expect the world peace from the rising prices ? How do you expect the world peace when the 2-bigs are busy in making chemical and nuclear weapons ? How do you expect the world peace in power game ? How do you expect the world peace as the Guff is catching the world in a fix to satisfy its selfish intention? Everyone, a man in single or a country as a whole wants to disturb others by his strength, or no allowing the mankind to live peacefully. If he unnecessarily creates the problem to satisfy inhumanly selfish ambition how do you expect world peace ?

The 2-bigs are becoming philosophers. They think that everything in the world is perishable, so is the human life ï¿½then why not finish it now? Because oldage and cripple life is not tolerated in the modern world, then it is better to die young. They also think that poor countries like India, South Africa have not at all any right to live in the modern 21st century. So destroy the world as early a possible to bring it in their control. Therefore they give unwanted guidance, unasked advice and interfere in the personal affairs of other countries.

Peace, I think is the symbol of prosperity. The person whose stomach is full, who has enough money to spend and has no worries for tomorrow can chat about the world peace. We can’t establish peace on hungry stomachsï¿½ World peace is highly impossible when the man is emotionally exploited and psychologically disturbed. Establishing peace is not a childï¿½s play. It needs a lot of tolerance and understanding, which too are lost in the Modern hi-tech world. We are moving towards 21st century very fast, new modern posh computerised world, at the cost of understanding and mutual adjustment. Every change has its price. While moving towards the mod world, we are losing our adjusting nature, understanding which are the basic principles of human life.

Man is a social animal. He develops his personality in the society but after development of his personality, what he returns to society ? How does he repay it ? He has become so selfish and self-centered that he is not ready to open his eyes wide and look after the world. And for this t hold educational institutions responsible, because modern education is neither life-oriented nor economic-oriented. These institutions are busy in grabbing money. They are money-oriented rather than the places where one gets humanly sanskar. Their teachings are restricted to only text books, and to fulfil oneï¿½s intention by hook or by crook. They never try to teach tolerance broad-mindedness and sensibility.

It is my frank opinion that our world is passing through the transitional period. Everywhere, every nation is facing social, political, economical some or other type of crises. When Rome was burning the king was playing on the violin. Like that – now the world is burning and our great leaders are playing the game of power. Common man is already exploited emotionally and financially. In such conditions world peace is highly impossible. Only God can save this beautiful world. As Lord Krishna said in Geeta ï¿½Whenever human Dharma will be drowsy, to root out Adharma, to establish Dharma i. e. human Dharma ( not caste ), to protect the good from the bad and to punish the evil I will take birth again and againï¿½. So I pray to him that the time has come to take his birth as the world is on its brink of disaster. He should keep his promise given in Geeta. Let the world be bright with his super power. Please lead kindly light.

The World Peace and Its Symbol

* Dr. B. D. Tiwari

The socio-psychologists and the political thinkers of the world have proclaimed that man, by nature, is bruit and selfish. This bruit and selfish nature of man is the root of all individual and collective conflicts, confronted by the whole human race from time to time, from place to place from age to age and from generation to generation. The quotations like ï¿½Jeevo jeevasya bhakshanamï¿½ or ï¿½Struggle for existence and survival of the fittestï¿½ may be biological facts, but so far as human race is concerned, these quotations are the off-shoots of the basic tendencies of man, based on selfishness and bruitality.

In my opinion, man – the glory of the universe and so called the owner of the globe, is the root of all human problems in the world. Man is the creator of countless problems and is also the victim of the same. He suffers from these problems and struggles hard to get rid of them, therefore, I would like to submit that all individual, social, political, economical, ethical, religious, racial, cultural, intellectual, national and international problems of mankind, directly or indirectly have their roots in human mentality of personal pleasure and individual happiness, which occasionally evoke bruitality and selfishness in human behaviour.

I would like to support the above statement with the fact that greedy ï¿½havesï¿½ have created an angry army of the ï¿½have-notsï¿½ and there is a class-struggle between the rich and the poor every where. The politicians and the experts in humanities have announced that war is a biological necessity. On the other hand, the idealists, the intellectuals, the philosophers, the religious heads and the prophets opine that the bruitality exposed in war is a curse to humanity. Every war is an embodiment of cruelty, violence and sin. Thus, the problem of war and peace is eternal and international. Naturally peace is the cry of mankind through out the world at all times. How to secure peace and retain it, is an eternal problem of man and humanity at large.

History says that no politician or preacher can establish peace, by framing taws, passing resolutions or by giving surmons in lecture-halls, auditoriums or at cross roads. Peace is an intrinsic value of human life. It is some thing internal. It is an urge of human heart and the thirst of human soul. It can never be imposed externally, but can be procured by changing the views and visions of man, from within. As revolution comes from within the heart of a man, so also peace comes from within the center of the consciousness of the self. There is a secret symbol of peace in Jainology. If the five principles of Jainology i.e. Ahimsa ( Non-Violence ); Satya ( Truth ); Asteya ( Nonstealing ); Brahmacharya ( Celibacy ) and Aparigraha ( Nonpossession ), are honestly and sincerely followed by the people of the world, peace can be established through out the world. These five principles of Jainology are the essence of all religions of the world. They may be propagated as the fundamental principles of humanity or as the principles of human religion. The mystery of World Peace is hidden in three words of Jainology. They are Ahimsa, Sanjamo, Tavo…. ï¿½A line in a couplet in Jainology reads as under :-

ï¿½Dhammo mangal mukkittam, Ahimsa, Sanjamo, Tavo.ï¿½

Ahimsa (Non-Violence); Sanjama ( Samyama = Self restraint ) and Tavo ( Tapa ) are the three gems of world peace at Individual and social level. The world peace can be represented in a symbol of a triangle, with one point ï¿½Ahimsaï¿½ at the vertex and ï¿½Sanjamoï¿½ and ï¿½Tavoï¿½ as two points at the base. The entire globe can be set within the limits of this triangle, where the self ( individual consciousness ) is to be treated as the centre of the world and the area of the existence of the entire Jeeva-Ajeeva ( living and non-living ) srishti has its existence within the limits of the circumference of the globe. The vacuum in the triangle, beyond the globe, indicates the Universe around the earth. If Samyak Darshana, Samyak Jnana and Samyak charitra of the self, the three basic, noble qualities of the self are linked with Ahimsa, Sanjamo and Tavo, we can, beyond doubt, establish World Peace throughout all nations of the globe. Thus, the symbol of the world peace would be as under :