LET’S TALK OF PEACE : REMEMBERING THE ARMISTICE DAY
John Samuel
President, Transform Consulting, Former Chief Post Master General Govt of India & Former Consultant, United Nations UPU
One hundred years ago – on November 11, 1918 - at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month - the guns fell silent, and for a time, the world rediscovered peace.
Armistice Day.
It was the end of World War I, the Great War, which had killed and maimed more than 10 millions of people and turned parts of Europe into a wasteland. It was the end of four years of carnage and unimaginable tragedy.
Approximately 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in World War One - and more than 74,000 of them lost their lives. In memory of the Indian officers and soldiers who died during the World War One, India Gate was constructed as a Memorial.
While commemorating the centennial of the World War I armistice, this Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron sounded a powerful warning about the fragility of peace and the dangers of nationalism and of nations that put themselves first, above the collective good. He thundered, "Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism: Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. In saying 'our interests first, whatever happens to the others,' you erase the most precious thing a nation can have, that which makes it lives, that which causes it to be great and that which is most important: Its moral values."
In 2018, the world has no excuses for failing to recognise the dangers from extremists and war-mongers to the peace and prosperity that we have for too long taken for granted. We should remember the fallen; but we should also remember the mistakes.
American Philosopher George Santayana said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,".
Let’s remember Armistice Day not just as a date, but as a reminder that gunfire and harsh words, violence and intolerance, war and armed conflict, are not the solution and that peace between people, peace between communities, peace between nations is the only solution.
It’s time we fought against poverty and ignorance, climate change and injustice. It’s time we fought for peace and reconciliation, progress and prosperity.
Let’s stop wars .. Let’s talk of peace