Page 57 - Age of Peace Goodword.indd

The Power of Peace is Greater than

the Power of Violence



ubhas Chandra Bose (1897 – 1945) was a great leader of
SIndia. The goal he had set for himself was to free India
of the British rule. He gave this slogan to Indians: ‘Give me
blood, and I shall give you freedom.’
The Indian people gave him blood in the form of the Azad
Hind Fauj (Indian National Army). However, this strategy
completely failed. Subhas Chandra Bose himself died in an
accident before he was able to fulfil this goal.

Mahatma Gandhi emerged as the true leader of the Indian
freedom struggle. But he opted for a different course to achieve
his goal—that of peace. His slogan for his people was: ‘Help
me in my non-violent activism, and I will give you freedom.’
Gandhi’s peaceful strategy worked and India successfully
won its freedom on August 15, 1947.
The strategy of Subhas Chandra Bose was based on violent
struggle. This strategy was bound to provoke counter-violence
from the British rulers, who were in a much stronger position.
Therefore, Subhas Chandra Bose’s strategy failed to work and
British rule stayed in place.
Mahatma Gandhi’s approach was the opposite. When he
declared that he would continue the freedom struggle – but
by the power of peace and not by the power of violence, the
British rulers lost all justification for their violence. It is said
that after Gandhi’s announcement, a British collector sent the

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