Vice Chancellor and Chief Guest Professor Arefin Siddique, 
Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Harun-or- Rashid, 
Professor Syed Anwar Husain, 
Distinguished faculty members, teachers, students & friends,
Assalam-u-Alaikum, Namaskar & good-morning

I am pleased to be present here at the prestigious Dhaka University for the 3rd Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture.

2. At the outset I would like to express my deep appreciation to Dhaka University, and Department of Peace and Conflict Studies in particular, for their initiative to organize this lecture to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, truly one of the greatest men the world has seen.

3. Sixty years ago an assassin’s bullet silenced the voice of the Mahatma. His mortal body was consigned to the flames. But the message, for which he lived and died, could not be extinguished. 

4. Today, we again pay tribute to this great apostle of peace. But even as we do so, we must ask ourselves, what is his relevance? Why should the message of a man, who preached peace and non-violence, be relevant today? Why should the deeds of a man, who sought to counter hate with love, be relevant in a world where terrorism has become a global menace? Why should the legacy of a man, who wore the livery of the poor as a badge of honour, be relevant in a world where even today millions are deprived of food and safe water to drink? Why should the voice of a man, who opposed insensitive materialism, be relevant in a world bent on destroying its own sustaining climate and environment? 

5. I would say that it is precisely because the world continues to be plagued by these problems, that the message of Mahatma Gandhi is even more relevant today. That almost sixty years after the death of Mahatma Gandhi, the UN General Assembly declared his birthday, October 2, as the International Day of Non-violence, is eloquent testimony to this. 

6. Non-violence or ‘Ahimsa’ is not a mantra. It is not simply the opposite of violence, although it is fundamentally opposed to violence. Non-violence is about the absence of hate, and the victory of love and compassion. It stands for principle in the face of expediency. It is about changing people’s hearts and minds. 

7. If non-violence was the message of Mahatma Gandhi, satyagraha or peaceful non-cooperation and civil disobedience was his tool. Satyagraha, he proclaimed, is for the strong in spirit, not the doubter or the timid. Its aim is to convert the repressor, but never through coercion. For those who practice it, there is no enemy. ‘I can combine the greatest love with the greatest opposition to wrong’, Gandhiji said. It was a policy that brought to an end the British colonial rule in India but, in tribute to this policy, the British left India as friends, not enemies. 

8. In the practice of satyagraha, the means were as important as the ends. For Mahatma Gandhi, principles could not be flexible. Truth was not a convenience. Conviction could not be bartered on the altar of expediency. This moral argument continues to be relevant, including in the context of menace of terrorism that we face. If we accept the premise that a worthy objective can be achieved only through the most carefully considered measures, we should never be able to condone our failure to act unitedly, determinedly and decisively to stop international terror once and for all. No matter what the objective is, no cause and no religion either justifies or sanctifies recourse to acts of terror. There is no right way to do a wrong thing. 

9. Some may argue that Mahatma’s idealism is not practical. It is unrealistic. Undoubtedly, such a path is not easy. But, I would like to ask a counter question: Has violence succeeded in bringing an end to our problems? Has bloodshed been a more effective way to resolve disputes? Has over exploitation of nature’s bounty led to a better life? 

10. Mahatma Gandhi will always remain an inspiration in the troubled world we live in. That is why Martin Luther King believed, and I quote: ‘Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore Gandhi at our own risk’.

11. It is my hope and conviction that the message of Mahatma Gandhi will not remain a call in the wilderness. He held no office. He commanded no army. But millions in India, and, indeed, across the world, revere him because he had the courage to dream of a saner and more civilized world, and was prepared to walk alone to achieve it. A song written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was his enduring favourite:

Jodi tor dak shune keu na ashe tobe ekla cholo re

Ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo, ekla cholo re

12. I once again thank the organisers for inviting me and thank you all for being present here today.