WHEN THE WAR COMES...





















Even the mightiest of the Super Powers of the world does not want to get into a war. War is no solution to the conflicts in hand - be it between nations or be it between groups of people or just individuals. War is a sad chapter… Sensible ones try their level-best to avoid it, avert it.

Our idea of a war is, generally, confined to wars between the nations. But, any conflict between two groups or two individuals has the same potential of causing destruction and ruining peace.

Abraham Lincoln had said in his famous Second Inaugural speech:



“Both parties deprecated war; but, one of them would make war

rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war

rather than let it perish… and, the war came.”



Abraham Lincoln accepted the war forced upon the Union. His goal was simple: to end slavery and save the Union from breaking. So, with his clear conscience, he accepted the challenge of Civil War unleashed by  the Southern states… which lasted for more than four years and cost the lives of more than 6,00,000 soldiers… apart from inflicting causalities on lakhs of  civilians and an unimaginable amount of destruction of wealth…

The war had to happen… Just as the Mahabharata… Just as the Second World…

Many had tried to avert these great wars of mythology and history… But, the wars came!



In all sorts of conflicts – you call them ‘wars’ – there are only those two parties which Lincoln points to: the one who would make war rather than let the nation – the family, the relationship, the friendship, the bond - survive,  and, the other would accept war rather than let it – them – perish…

So, important thing is to see on which side of the divide we are… 




I would accept war rather than 

seeing the ‘Union’ perish…



Yes, before that, I would try to exhaust all possible means at my disposal to avert the war… To make the other side see its danger…

And, then, even if I come out victorious in war, I would still say – as Lincoln did:



“With Malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right,

as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in,

to bind up the nation's wounds.”



Yes, in Life, we all fight – make war - either to break the Union… or to hold it together!



GERALD D’CUNHA



Pic.: Vivek D'Cunha




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