Gandhi and nehru on ahimsa (non-violence): with special reference to their autobiographies

Ahimsa has had a place in Indian religions since ancient times. It has evolved in meaning within and among different religious groups. Ahimsa is the highest law. It is the very essence of human nature. Gandhi gave the practical message of spirituality, love, truth and non-violence, but he did not enunciate any system of philosophy. From his early childhood he loved truth and as he grew up truth and non-violence became his sole objects. He became the apostle of Ahimsa. In other words, he perfected the art and science of Ahimsa. Nehru’s attitude towards non-violence is interesting. Though he was attached to it he did not give absolute allegiance to it as Gandhi did. Mahatma Gandhi was a practical idealist who practised ahimsa in his own life. Nehru also believes that the ideas of non-violent resistance and the non violent technique of struggle were of great value to India as well as to the rest of the world and Gandhi has done a tremendous service in forcing modern thought to consider them. Although the doctrine of non-violence has great future yet probably mankind is not sufficiently advanced to adopt it in its entirety. Nehru is firm in his belief that all life is full of conflict and violence and it seems to be true that violence breeds violence and is thus not the way to overcome it.