The writer is Noor-York Chair in Islamic Studies, York University, Toronto.
How Gandhian idea of non-violence is shaping political struggle in Spain
As the Gandhian moment of Catalonia is showing the world, democracy is not only about institutions, law-making and carrying on governmental administration by means of popular suffrage and elected officers.
Gandhi’s life continues to inspire people around the world. He changed India and the world with his vision of compassion, tolerance and peace. But he was above all an accomplished strategist who throughout his life worked to develop theories and practices that would advance the rights of marginalised groups and oppressed communities around the world. He inspired moral and political leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel, the Dalai Lama, and impacted social and political movements in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Despite the geographic and cultural diversity of these places, nonviolent movements there have exhibited a remarkable similarity to Gandhi’s strategy for checking power and opposing violence. These indicate the practical success of an ethical commitment to norms of political transparency, non-violent negotiation, reconciliation and mutual respect.
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