Conflict Resolution and Peace Building
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." – Mahatma Gandhi
From the very dawn of civilisation humans have left a unique impression in every
phase of history. The pursuit of power, justice, freedom, equality and love, is a common
thread that unites every culture and community. Yet, one particular phenomenon that takes
place amidst the vast diversity of our land is conflict. Conflict is an inevitable occurrence in
society. Conflict is simply understood as an active disagreement between people,
organisations or communities at large based on opposing views or ideologies. The reasons of
conflict may be due to limited resources, differences of opinion, incompatible roles, poor
communication or menacing acts of violence. Regardless the reasons, conflict will lead to
change in our country. Unfortunately at times, this means disharmony, strife and division
among people. This is detrimental to the overall welfare of our nation.
One of the most common types of conflict is the dispute over natural resources. For
instance, the Cauvery river issue between the regions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The
distribution and use of river water has been an issue for over a century and has led to a
disturbing series of violent protests. Protestors wreak havoc in the streets of Bengaluru while
setting vehicles and shops on fire, causing over 25,000 crore worth of damage.
Another social evil that has deep roots within the structure of our society is
discrimination based on Caste. This fixation on abusing socially-marginalised groups has
only worsened the gap between the rich and the poor of our country. These are the distressing
words of an urban slum dweller John Gabriel, 49, a construction labourer, “I cannot find
work in this area. The people see us as thieves and criminals. If they treat us this way because
we belong to a lower income group, where are we supposed to live?”
Religious intolerance is also a significant cause of conflict. Our nation is
distinguished by its religious pluralism. Holding major religious groups such as Jainism,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Yet, news
headlines highlight the persistent religious intolerance. Hate crimes and bloody riots sabotage
the very sanctity our cultural slogan “unity in diversity”.
