Peace for Ukraine: Waiting for Godot!

The devastation in Ukraine still continues and things are getting complicated day by day. The news of loss of lives and property are pouring up, making our emotions in fragile mode. The answer to the question of ‘Peace’ is becoming very crucial and important. International community is taking steps which seems to be on the table with invisible impact. The only source of real information, the local media is too projecting what their country leadership want to convey.

There was news related to videos and photographs, which were termed as fake! It did give me a sense of satisfaction, the reason was ‘hope’! I do hope nothing like that is happening what media is showing and unfortunately glorifying the war!

It was the third time since the weekend, the new cease-fire announced by Russia to allow civilians to escape from the four war torn Ukrainian cities, but it didn't last longer. There is no political progress toward ending Europe’s biggest ground war in decades. The report of some "small positive shifts" on logistical arrangements for setting up humanitarian corridors, gave us the hope for peace.

This announcement of creating human corridor for safe passage of affected people from foreign origin to leave Ukraine! There were also reports that cost of traveling to Romania or Poland catapulted to more than 100 per cent of the original! People are making money, interesting!! But for sake of life, it is priceless!

In last two weeks about 1.7 million people have fled from Ukraine to other countries like Poland and Hungary, UN refugee agency chief called it the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. It is estimated that about 4 per cent of Ukrainian population are the part of this exodus. It is reported that the southern port city of Mariupol, about half of the city’s 430,000 residents are trying to escape but only a small fraction has succeeded in this process.

The word ‘hope’ when it comes to our mind gives ultimate satisfaction and it come before ‘Peace’! Does the Peace have a cost? Then what is the cost?

Is by purchasing guns from other countries will bring peace to Ukraine? Are ‘Peace’ and ‘War’ the two sides of coin? Yes, they are!? If you have muscle power, then only you can live in peace!? Then what is the purpose of arm twisting by so called super-powers?

I do have more doubts! Does large shipment of weapons from Western Super Powers to Ukraine will bring Peace? I wonder why Ukraine is being portrayed as country which has poor armed forces and dilapidated defense systems. Portraying a country or making it more vulnerable to unfortunate attacks, who is getting economic advantage? Is the country which is eagerly pushing up weapons is earning from this war and the country which is playing like a war monger is gaining, the question will remain unanswered!

Don’t Make Your Citizens ‘Militia’

For a civilian fighting for a country can be a glorifying term when he or she is given a gun. These civilians holding the gun later become militia! The term was once favorite for news readers covering disturbances in Arab World! Meaning every house is having gun and he can shoot anyone he feels is invading in his territory! Does Ukraine wants to buy peace by doing this? These weapons given to civilians will later become their part of livelihood! There are many stories in the history, where it was difficult to calm down people who had been given the guns to fight for the nation!

Global Efforts for Peace

Now, if we still put the question who will take steps to bring peace in the region and what should be the best measure? There are news that economic sanctions again Russia has been initiated by US and the EU and the allied including de-linking Moscow from the international banking system SWIFT. Suddenly this will definitely give jolt to ordinary people who had nothing to do with the invasion! But the question still remains, is the cost for Peace?

The US has deployed more than 100,000 of American forces on the European Continent to prevent Russia from broadening its expansion in Ukraine! This gives me ripples! Not because of I am afraid of Armed forces, but it seems we will be waiting to hear the news of death of soldiers in future in this tussle. Why don't we count a soldier as a human being? It may be from either side. Killings never takes to Peace, it creates stories of violence and echoes the horror in the generations to come!

There was a positive news came up from China expressing concern over the grave situation in Ukraine and offered to help play a "positive role" to restore peace. This seems to be some hope. Chinese President Xi Jinping, while addressing his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has termed the war in Ukraine as "worrisome" and criticized the US and the EU sanctions against Russia, saying such measures would create a global crisis which is in the "interest of no one".

The Russian President Putin has been insisting that he would end hostilities only if Kyiv accepts to all his demands, including accepting the loss of Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014, Ukraine’s "demilitarization" and a renunciation of any intention to try to join NATO. Does this mean Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is responsible for all these happenings?

Whatever the bone of contention is there, it is the people who want peace! They have nothing to do with the gun fights and defense deals! The furore created by politicians is just making the lives of normal citizens a hell!

Viewing the issue on Gandhian Perspectives

I always want to think what Gandhi ji would have advised if he were alive today for the crisis in Ukraine. Gandhi ji also wrote a letter to Hitler before the onset of World War II. He had asked two questions in his letter:

1. Must you pay that price for an object however worthy it may appear to you to be?

2. Will you listen to the appeal of one who has deliberately shunned the method of war not without considerable success?

Author of the book “Gandhi on War and Peace”, Rashmi-Sudha Puri wrote Mahatma looked upon the problem of war as the most important problem which faced the contemporary world. Gandhi ji didn't accept distinctions between ''just'' and "unjust wars" - in his mind every war was unjust. I myself too affirm that war has always been unjust! Mahatma Gandhi had the opinion that war was never a just means to attempt to create peace or to achieve a so-called noble goal.

As per Mahatma Gandhi, ‘the Ends never justified the Means!’

We should know that the cost of war is not the economic part, but the price the human pays by losing their loved ones, their displacement, loss of livelihood and the pain they suffer from the decisions taken by their leaders!

The relevance of Samuel Beckett's drama "Waiting for Godot", which portrayed the futility of human struggle in a senseless world, seems to be holding true!