INDIA—A POTENTIALLY SPIRITUAL COUNTRY

peacefully disseminate the message of Islam. The above historical references explain how it was possible that the different groups of religion and culture have been living in harmony in India since long. How the people of a nation had so many religious beliefs and how they could live together from the past to the present with this diversity, without conflict? It was not due to any coincidence. But, it was due to the deep-rooted traditions of the Indian culture. The theoretical explanations of this phenomenon can be different, but, it is a fact that this kind of tolerance is a great strength of India. It gives India a special place on the world map. The well-known Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi is the greatest name in pacifism. In its article on pacifism, the fifteenth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica has this to say about Gandhi: “The most massive, comprehensive, and historically effective example of nonviolent activism is that of the movements unchained and organized by Mahatma Gandhi.” The case of Mahatma Gandhi is not an individual case, in fact, he was only a manifestation of India’s spirit of peace and tolerance. In the pre-WWII era, certain countries adopted a social model that was based on uniculturalism. Some examples of these countries are Canada, the USA and Australia. However, this model completely failed to work. Then in the post-WWII period, they adopted a new model which was based on multiculturalism. It is interesting to note that India had adopted the model of multiculturalism since the beginning of its history and up to the present day. It is this model that provides the pace of development to both the Muslim community as well as the non-Muslim communities. Another wonderful aspect of India is that it is a potential spiritual superpower. A case in point is of Mother Teresa who was born in Europe but upon her visit to India she was so fascinated with this land of spirituality that she decided to settle here. She dedicated her entire life to social upliftment. In recognition of her services, she was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize. On this occasion, she was invited to the USA to address an American audience there. She began her address with these historic words: “I have come from a rich country to a poor country.” She was indeed referring to the spiritual wealth of this country. It is a fact that India has a long tradition of spirituality and moral values. In other words, potentially, India is a spiritual hub. This is the true spirit of India. We only need to revive ancient Indian traditions in our lives, for India to emerge as a spiritual superpower in the world. It will be able to conquer the world with its spirituality. But turning this Indian potential into reality would need a long and sincere effort. It is a struggle involving many phases, consisting of purely peaceful methods.