non-violence

Non-violence seeks to oppose the use of state violence by means such as peaceful demonstrations, sit-ins, civil disobedience, and so forth. It is a political strategy of opposition best known as adopted by Gandhi in the Indian national movement. Gandhi insisted on the absolute nature of non-violence—there is no half-way house in a non-violent movement. This was because non-violence was regarded by Gandhi as a moral force, and hence could not be seen to be compromised in any way. His withdrawal from the first national non-cooperation movement 1921 after the burning down of a police station at Chauri Chaura was on the grounds that there can be no exceptions to the rule of non-violence at any level. Many political leaders have been inspired by Gandhi in adopting non-violence as a form of political protest, the best known being the American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King. See also Quakers; civil disobedience.

— Shirin Rai