Passive Resistance

Last week when I was at home, me and Dad were having a discussion and Leo Tolstoy’s name came up. Dad said he is a saint. I know that people used to call him Prophet or the living saint, but I did not know my Dad is one of them. We spoke about his works, and Dad seemed really upset about the way he died in a Railway Station. I am not a Tolstoyan myself but, I believe in the power of non-violence. Violence comes easy, the trigger for violence is Anger and hatred. But non-violence requires maturity of the mind, patience and love.  People may obey Violence out of fear and helplessness, but they will bow to non-violence out of respect. 

It amazes me how, one person that is Leo Tolstoy made the whole of Russia as well as the whole world to follow him, recognize him and remember him for eternity. All he preached was love. He wrote all his property to the people of Russia during his last days. His wife was completely against this idea. She would fight with him and behave like a hysteric woman. Even though he loved his wife, he never gave up his decision to donate all the money to people. Even it meant, leaving his own house. He had some devoted disciples and followers who took care of him and when his health deteriorated, he was given a place in the Railway station in southern Russia to stay. People say that even Mahatma Gandhi was influenced by his principles and they used to correspond through letters. And yet he was so humble, modest, full of love and down to earth.  

Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther king, these are the people who believed in just one simple Principle “Passive Resistance” or “Non-Violence”.  Whole world followed them in their fight and in their belief.  May be 1947 was the last time in India when people spoke about non-violence and 1910 in Russia(Death of Leo Tolstoy) We no longer have leaders who strive and struggle for the benefit of the society. There is no point for us to sit and wait for the world to change in the hands of our so called leaders.Once Leo Tolstoy asked a group of people “Do you think I am the future of this Country? No. you are the future of this country”. We, the people of this earth are responsible for all the war and peace here.

Each one of us have the potential to bring change in this world. Believe in a principle. Follow that to every word, no matter who opposes you, no matter how much you are ridiculed. You may get one person who may understand you at first, then the word may spread and one more person may join and yet another. Let the snowball roll. Let the butterfly effect begin.. All we need to do is just flap our wings…