Two September 11s offer two very different lessons for the world. On 11 September 1906, more than 3,000 Indians gathered at Johannesburg’s Empire Theatre and took a solemn pledge to oppose the Transvaal government’s discriminatory registration law without violence. Led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, they chose Satyagraha, the force of truth, discipline and non-violent resistance, rather than anger or armed revolt.

On 11 September 2001, the terrorist attacks in the United States caused immense loss of life and introduced a new era of fear, war and global securitization. Together, these two dates remind us that societies can respond to injustice and insecurity either through violence and suspicion or through truth, restraint and organised civic action. This contrast gains special meaning as the world observes the “International Day of Peace” on 21 September 2026. The United Nations theme for this year is “Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”

The theme calls on governments, institutions, communities and individuals to treat peace as a continuous responsibility rather than as a matter reserved for diplomats and international conferences. Peace-building goes beyond formal negotiations and conference rooms. It requires sustained investment in education, justice, trust, dialogue and social cooperation, along with small but meaningful actions in homes, schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods. The United Nations has described this approach as support for the “everyday architects of peace” – people who help bridge divisions and build safer communities. A reference to the 1906 gathering in Johannesburg is poignant.

For it was an early example of such organised civic action. The law required Indians to register, provide fingerprints and carry passes. Instead of obeying an unjust order or responding with violence, the community chose to stand together, speak openly and accept the possible consequences of resistance under Gandhi who first experimented with his principle of non-violence on foreign soil against the might of the time through this powerful declaration of “Satyagraha”.

This was the beginning of Satyagraha as a collective method. It showed that ordinary people could challenge injustice through courage, self-discipline and non-cooperation. Satyagraha is often translated as “truth-force” or “soul-force.” The word combines satya, meaning truth, and agraha, meaning firm insistence or holding firmly. It was not passive behaviour. It required people........

© The Statesman