Mobor (Goa): Union minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar today dissected the entire non-violence movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi during pre-Independence day claiming that it was an Indian idea which was used to destroy the European colonialism.
Akbar was addressing the inaugural function of three day long conference on maritime security organized by “Forum for Integrated National Security” (FINS) currently underway in South Goa.
“The miracle of Gandhi was not, in my view, is that he led the first mass movement of the people. The miracle of Gandhi lay in the fact that he took Indian idea in order to destroy the European colonialism,” Akbar said in his address to the audience.
“Before that, people wondered how can you defeat the colonialism. It was an Indian idea called satyagraha and satyagraha is not merely non violence, it is power of truth and amazingly somebody who articulated something as philosophical, not conventionally understandable, turned it into an idea,” said the union minister hailing Gandhiji.
Claiming that salt was symbolic to the salary, Akabar said that Gandhiji made salt march as an important aspect of the last push. “Salt is equated to salary. Still we say ‘apka namak khaya hai,” he commented.
The minister said that there are “deeper resonances” to the actions undertaken by Gandhiji during that time.
“India was created not by the strength of an alternative army, not by military force. It was a defeated my mass movement inspired by a mass reality and motivated by the people and therefore India became genuinely people’s republic,” he said.
Akbar, believing in Indian philosophy that the whole world is a family, said that the families are not free from conflicts.
“One very familiar reference has been made to a very deep seated belief of our Indian philosophy which is that the whole world is a family. Families are not free from conflicts,” he said.
Referring to the changing dimensions in the security scenario, the minister said “when we use the word security we have to understand the collateral.”
“Security for whom? There was an age, not too long ago, that the only definition of security was security for elites who fought between them, by them, for them,” he said.
“Majority of the people were by-standards. But the world has changed significantly. Today security no longer means the security of elite, it means security of the masses,” he commented.
Akbar claimed that while discussing the security of India, one will have to look at the Sea map of the country.
“When you look at map of India, you are automatically trapped in the land map of the country, but if you are discussing strategy and security, you have to look much more than the land map of India,” he said.
“In fact I would suggest that the land map of India is far more secure then the sea map. Sea map of India is much bigger than the land map of India. Land map of India will indicate size of India, sea map of India will indicate the reach,” he added.
