Peace and non-violence should rather be our way of life.
We have the examples of Jesus Christ, the Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela. The list goes on. These great souls have inspired us to integrate non-violence and peace as part of our life — the core of our inner beings.
Practical universal peace, however, is still eons apart. And we are lesser mortals. Even as a virus causes a pandemic, hitting a large part of the international population, tensions rise on the borders. India vs. China, India Vs. Pakistan, Pakistan vs. Saudi Arabia, and the list go on. The scenario is real not only for Asian and Gulf Countries. It is a global phenomenon. Worse than any disease or fear is the constant threat that the worldwide population suffers. It is a source of continuous tension and disruption of creative potentials. Just imagine if all these disruptive forces could join hands to create a better world – a world free of fear, a world free of pollution, and a world where our future generations would be secure! But the present truth is the other way around.
A day is necessary to commemorate peace
Naturally, we need one day to remind us of the necessity for practising peace and non-violence. We need a day of the cease-fire to give respite of at least 24 hours to the sentries of the borders across the world. We need a day to pause from our daily turmoil and spread the word of peace. Rightly, therefore, a United Nations resolution in 1981 declared the 21st of September as the World Peace Day. Each year, on a need basis, the United Nations sets its theme to spread awareness about peace and non-violence worldwide.
The theme for this year as decided by the United Nations
This year, amid social distancing and minimal contact amid Covid-19, celebrations are a low-key affair. Coronavirus has been defined as the common enemy against which each country is fighting in its own way. Honestly, this one disease has set the pace of human progress on the back burner, at least for a year. Stay home safe, celebrate peace, and win your crusade against Covid-19.