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Abjure violence to resolve conflicts: Hume

Basharat Peer in New Delhi

He talked about Ireland, but his words conjured up images of conflict zones of south Asia and had lessons for Indian and Pakistani governments to learn.

Having received the Gandhi Peace Prize on Friday, the Irish peacemaker and Nobel laureate John Hume, speaking at the India International Centre in New Delhi, emphasised the need to abjure violence if conflicts were to be resolved.

"Violence has no role to play in solving a problem. It only divides the people and deepens the divide," Hume said.

Speaking about the talk in the world media to fight terrorism 'tooth and nail' after the September 11 attacks on the US, Hume said that violence in any shape or form has to be condemned.

Referring to the militant activities of the Irish Republican Army to explain his point, he asserted that groups who picks up arms to fight for the 'human rights' or the 'right of self-determination' of their people are not justified.

"How can you fight for the human rights of your people by using methods that undermine life?" he asked.

But Hume asserted that it is important to address the reasons that force people to resort to violence, if violence is to be stopped.

As the security considerations have become paramount in the aftermath of September 11 attacks and the concern for human rights has taken a back seat, Hume rightly pointed out the need to ensure that innocents do not suffer.

"While combating terrorism governments must make sure that innocents do not suffer," he said.

He warned that human rights violations would force more and more people to join the ranks of the terrorist organisations.

"That is what happened in Ireland when soldiers shot innocents," Hume said referring to the Bloody Sunday massacre.

On Sunday, January 30, 1972 British troops fired on a civil rights march killing 14 people in Northern Ireland.

Ireland witnessed a bloody conflict from 1965 to 1995, with the Protestant minority tilted towards being a part of Britain, while the majority Catholics were in favour of a separate Ireland.

Hume, who tirelessly advocated radical but peaceful change in 1970, founded the Social Democratic and Labour Party, bringing together the various strands of non-militant activists in Northern Ireland.

In the 1980s, he approached Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, to include them in the political process.

His determination in bringing peace to his country was demonstrated by his entering into secret negotiations with Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein leader, although he had to weather a storm of protests that followed when his talks became public in 1993.

But Hume's risk bore fruit and his negotiations with Adams, led to an IRA ceasefire the following year. In 1998 Hume helped negotiate the Good Friday agreement, which remains the basis for negotiations in Northern Ireland.

Talking about the Irish peace process Hume said that it was a difficult job, but he convinced both the Protestants and the Unionists about the need to respect difference and prefer dialogue over violence.

"There was a time when we had to build 12 walls in Belfast to separate one section from the other. One out of every 50 people was injured in violence and one out of every 500 was killed," he said.

Building a case that disputes, howsoever sore, can be resolved Hume argued that had he talked about a peaceful Europe working together as it is today 30 years back people would have taken him to a psychiatrist.

"But it has happened and it is now clear that European Union is the best example in the history of the world of conflict resolution," he said.

Hume subtly urged India and Pakistan to analyse and study the disputes between them to find a way out.

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