| Awaken Bharata |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE IMPORTANCE OF KSHATRIYA DHARMA | |
| Most obvious in this regard is the absolute
non-violence taught by Mahatma Gandhi, but similar trends have
existed in other groups both before and after him. Gandhi rejected
the traditional Kshatriya role in society by teaching that it is
wrong for Hindus to use force under any circumstances, even to
defend themselves.
Gandhi took the non-violence appropriate to monks and yogis and tried to impose it upon the political and military classes of the country, in fact on the population of Hindus as a whole. He opposed any use of force by Hindus and was against India even having an army. While non-violence can be a useful political tool in certain circumstances, Gandhi turned it into an article of faith for Hindus, a dogma not to be questioned but to be applied mechanically in all situations. We must admit, no doubt, that this strategy of non-violence may have been appropriate against the British, who had some refinement of feeling, and was employed at a time when Hindus did not have much military strength or know how as an alternative. We can admire the Mahatma for the decisive way in which he used non-violence, demonstrating an admirable courage in standing up to the British and not hesitating to criticize their wrong actions. Similarly his stance against the Christian missionaries and their conversion policies was strong and fearless.
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