The greatest person who argued for peace and non-violence in the 20th century was Gandhiji. He argued for non-violent resistance. Gandhiji used to say: “The goal does not justify the means. Just like the goal, the means also must be pure.” There are people who consider non-violence as helplessness and cowardice. Some people argue that non-violence is the means of protest of the weak. But Gandhiji put forward a new kind of non-violence. According to Gandhiji, non-violence isn’t merely not harming a person physically or mentally, but also keeping away from thoughts of harming him.
Gandhiji gave non-violence a creative meaning. To him, non-violence should be an active power to do things for the welfare of others. Non-violent resistance can take the form of protects. Civil Disobedience Movement was such a protest. Another form was satyagraha. The Civil Disobedience Movement and the satyagraha Gandhiji organized put the British in a dilemma. People like Martin Luther King (Jr) and Nelson Mandela were influenced by Gandhiji.
