Satyagraha: Gandhi's Approach to Conflict Resolution

Satyagraha, as practiced by Mahatma Gandhi, is a technique of action deigned to set in motion a process to achieve lasting peace. It emerged from the realization that violence breeded violence; war fought to end wars and bring peace brought greater and more devastating wars. Satyagraha replaced brute force by soul force, also known as love force through self-suffering with the sole objective of drowsing hatred in the opponent and arousing in him the inherent capacity, even if muted, to love the “enemy.”

The doctrine of Satyagraha is an extension of the rule of family life into the political arena. Gandhi held that family disputes and differences were generally settled according to the “Law of Love.” The injured member had so much regard for the others that he suffered injury for the sake of his principles without retaliating and without anger against those who differed with him. As repressing of anger and self-suffering were difficult processes, he did not dignify trifles into principles, but in all nonessentials readily agreed with the rest of family and thus continued to gain the maximum of peace for himself without distributing that of others. Thus, his action whether he resisted or resigned was always calculated to promote the common welfare of all.

In times such as ours when conflict is the order of the day and the potentials of globalization offers more to fear than to hope. There is an urgent demand for solutions of conflicts by ways which are constructive and not destructive, which Satyagraha fulfill to a great extent.