October 24 is an important day for the world. On this day in 1948, the United Nations’ Charter came into force and it has been celebrated as United Nations Day since. The Charter stated that the UN is determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which has brought untold sorrow to mankind in the two major world wars fought in the past; to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small; to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom; to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another; to maintain international peace and security; and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, to mention a few. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his UN Day 2019 message, once again emphasised on the need for peace. “At this time of turbo-charged change, the United Nations remains focused on the real problems of real people. We are working for a fair globalisation and bold climate action. We are pushing for human rights and gender equality -- and saying “no” to hatred of any kind. And we are striving to maintain peace – while bringing life-saving aid to millions caught up in armed conflict,” read his message.
Coincidentally, on this day, the government of India had a meeting, in what has been dubbed as one of the final phases of Indo-Naga peace talks, with the negotiators of Naga insurgency groups in New Delhi to end the several-decade-old Naga political issue and bring peace to the once war-torn region. Bringing about peace through dialogue has been the guiding principal for resolving both international and domestic issues, and India has been following this very principle. The maturity of India as a nation has been manifested in its ability to resolve conflicts through dialogue sans military force. It may be mentioned that several rounds of talks have being held over the last 22 years to solve Naga political issue. The outcome of the latest round of talks between the government of India and various Naga insurgency groups has not been made public yet sans a select few people but the international community will expect a peaceful resolution, a solution that will pave the way for development and foster the growth of the country economically, socially and as a nation.
Peace is what the world has been striving for and should continue to because conflict doesn’t help anybody. Dialogue should be the guiding light in solving all kinds of issues if we want to build a bright future for the generations to come. And history has told us that violence does not bring permanent peace. This is what Martin Luther King Jr. had once said on violence: “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.”
