Peace, women and development : An overview

Dr Akham Hemabati Devi *

Meira Paibi rally against illegal drugs at Tiddim Road, Imphal on the night of March 1 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Peace is the state of being free from any kind of human conflict and violence. Human being wants to have a peaceful and happy life. Not only man but also animals want a peaceful world without any disturbance. In develop countries all the activities like education, business, sports, arts and culture, science and technology etc. run smoothly in the situation of peace. Peace is the sign of development and prosperity.

People can move from one place to another without any fear. They can do their day to day work of their will without any obstruction. People respect each other's rights and understand their responsibilities and also committed to fulfill their duty towards the society. Peace brings happiness among people. They actively and voluntarily involved in development activities.

It helps to promote human rights, democratic norms and values. It also helps to create the feeling of love, trust, tolerance and brotherhood among people. It helps in making the world a better place to live. Development process cannot go ahead without peace and harmony. So, it is necessary to discuss how we can have peace.

Peace and development are closely related. The so-called development by and large depends on social, political, economical and educational progress. People usually understood development in the sense of materialistic development and ignored spiritual one. With the advancement of new scientific discoveries and inventions man created so many powerful weapons. The great competition is going on between countries, one individual to another. Men use violent means in order to gain power and supremacy. It brings conflict between them.

Due to this it becomes a degradation of human values. It also threatens in human life. Humanity is passing through a very difficult period. People all over the world are living in constant fear and insecurity, With the rampant increase in cases of crime, crisis, hatred etc, many think that it can be overcome by using weapons and power. But ultimately it is not the best solution.

Great personals say, "Man can bring paradise on this earth". Violent and non-violent actions are done by human being only. Human nature is a mixture of good and evil. The instinct to fight is innate. Violence under certain circumstances is justified. Violence done under the motives of selfish is wrong. Man is the most important one to bring a peaceful and harmonious society.

Peace is the mother of civilization and war is the demon of destruction, hi order to have peace in a society we should try to have positive attitude of feeling. Peace is not merely a state of non-violence or absence of violence. It is something more since it is also positive state of mind as well as a constructive goal of person, society and mankind. It is true that peace will be achieved by removing all kinds of violence such as war, environmental destruction, fraudulence, violation of human rights, cruelty against women and children and so on.

Peace has both individual and social aspects. Peace at the individual level is the inner peace or peace of mind, a state in which there is perfect harmony among the various psychic forces which otherwise pull in different directions and become a source of conflict and tension. It is a psychological state when mind is free from tension, stress and strain, the different passions and desires and conflicts that arise from them. It thus signifies a tranquil composure and a peacefulness of temper.

At the individual level, it indicates a state in which the sense of being full or complete is experienced when all the faculties of an individual are in full harmony or in total orderly alliance with one another. At the social level it indicates a harmonious community as peace is the natural or moral condition of man in relationship to others enjoined most innately in the family, and extended to others by a social bond. Social peace is a state of harmonious relationship between the individual as well as groups with varied interests. It is the state of harmony between parts and the whole.

All the great religions of the world have an emphasis on values such as observing truth in thought, words and deeds, living a life of self restraint, having active love for others etc. It is necessary for a man to develop altruistic qualities which are essential for promotion of peace as they help in developing a sense of solidarity identity of interests.

If the idea was to be extended to the family of nations, mankind can hope to have peace in the world. The concept of the establishment of peace has been found in the history like that of Lord Buddha, Ashoka and Jesus Christ. All religions preach peace. Peace will not be established among men unless men thirst for peach for its own sake. It will not come and the world will not be free from violence, until society knows and experiences the greatness and importance of the independent power of peace. The world is suffering from multidimensional crisis such as crime, enmity, hatred, fraudulence, sexual assault etc .All these together constitute a grave danger to the peace and security of the world.

Peace research today has reached a consensus that the opposite of peace is not war but violence. The need of the hour is to adopt a human angle, where man is the centre of our concern, and where development is of the people, for the people and by the people and where a holistic attitude that covers all humans and the whole human is kept in view.

Peace to be peace in the real sense of term must be based on a genuine change of heart, when mutual distrust, hatred and enmity must cease for good, giving place to ever-biding friendship. Considering the phenomenal increase in the number of violent activities that we face today many scholars, great persons have proclaimed again and again to give better education to the coming generations in order to have quick decision making, maintain discipline, good behavior and their responsibility to the society.

Education is important for everyone, but it is especially significant for girls and women. The history of female education in India has its roots in ancient Vedic age. It's said during the ancient India, women enjoyed equivalent status & rights like their males counterparts. In previous times, the status of women in India was inferior to men in the practical life. However, they had a higher status in scriptures. They are considered as the perfect home maker in the world. With their incomparable quality of calmness of their mind, they can easily handle even toughest situation.

Indian women are completely devoted to their families. The status of women in India deteriorated during the medieval period with the entrance of the Muslims. Several evil practices such as female infanticide, sati and child marriage were practiced during this period. 'Purdah' was introduced to the society. Polygamy was also common during this period.

Women also excelled in literature, music and arts. They were also rulers during this period. The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. In the modern time, women in India were given freedom & right such as freedom of expression & equality as well as the right to be educated. Various prestigious positions at this period were held by women including that of the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Leader of the Opposition.

Many women excel in most coveted competitive examinations like Civil Services, IIT, IIM and so on. Women in India now participate fully in areas such as education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology, etc. The Constitution of India guarantees to all Indian women equality (Article 14), no discrimination by the State (Article 15(1)), equality of opportunity (Article 16), and equal nay for equal work (Article 39(d)).

However, some problems such as dowry, domestic violence, sex selective abortion, female infanticide are still prevalent. Women in India continue to face atrocities such as sexual assault, acid throwing, dowry killings, forced prostitution of young girls and many more. According to a global poll conducted by Thomson Reuters, India is the "fourth most dangerous country" in the world for women and the worst country for women among the G20 countries.

Preventive measures need to be taken to ensure that women are empowered in India. Empowerment of women is needed in all aspects viz.: Social, Educational, Political, Work and Economic empowerment.