Editorial

Weapon Factories

[A terrible train accident happened in Odisha, India. 278 people lost their lives and a thousand were injured. The Rail Minister of India and his team did exceptional service to provide help to victims and passengers, and also to restore the tracks for movement. All of our prayers go for the victims of the tragedy.]

In May 2023, European Union pledged one billion euros for refreshing weapon supply to Ukraine [Read here]. Already two billion Euros had been committed for Ukraine. Now again, more weapons and of course, more weapons.

Apart from the European Union, several European nations have pledged millions of euros this year also, like the previous year. Consider the tiny nation, Netherlands. In 2022, just for military support Holland gave one billion euros to Ukraine.  This, apart from various other forms of help [Read here]. In 2023, the help continues with more zeal. If a small nation can spend so much on Ukraine war, imagine other nations of Europe! Yet there is no relation with the ongoing war and some European nations, except business. Finally there is the United States, prodding and promoting fierce action, for peace.

Like they have the virus industry, now we have the war industry. Nobody seems to want the war to stop. The enthusiasm with which all countries are supporting war in diverse ways shows that the desire is to continue war, which means, kill, break, destroy. And then, keep a few million for “humanitarian aid”, “reconstruction”.

You may ask: Why break to rebuild again? Why kill and harm to speak of refugees and rehabilitation? Who will answer this question? “Those who don’t learn lessons from history are bound to repeat it.” The World Wars were lessons to teach what we should NOT do. But some think wars teach what we should do.

What’s the result of this two-year long ongoing war?

After the shock of corona virus comes this war. So worries and health problems on the rise. Prices are up. Gas, electricity and other fuel prices are more than triple. Which means the related items are also costly. Food items are now triple-priced. Starting from bread, milk and carrots and onions, everything is at least three times higher.  And then this imposition of war. Nature keeps Europe in cold and freezing conditions for six months, but you cannot warm your homes. If Indian government had even dreamt of saying to people to bathe only for five minutes, India would be burning. Here, you are advised to bathe for five minutes, heat less, eat less, and what not. So life is only a survival, living abject fear and suffering. Is this life?

What’s the solution? Efforts are being made and every effort should be made to stop conflicts and wars. Starving warring nations of weapons could prevent further destruction. Nobody will fight with hands now. The same energy and money could be used to create newer lands for the ever-increasing human population. Greening deserts is so important

Not a single page in world’s war history promises happiness and peace from war. Yet we don’t learn lessons but insist that other races should learn lessons from us. This is the irony.

May good sense prevail and peace be restored by Sri Ramakrishna’s grace.

Swami Sunirmalananda