War and peace are two contrasting faces of a civilization. But unfortunately, mankind has seen more wars than the periods of peace. And with the progress of science and technology, war is becoming more widespread and devasting. The two wars faced by the world during the last century encompassed the whole world and took the toll of millions of human lives and brought about total destruction of property including means of transport and communication.
The world war-II, deadlier than world war-I, affected not only who were living but also those who were yet to born, because of the effects of radiation caused by dropping of atom bombs. And today, there are hydrogen bombs and nitrogen bombs that are much more powerful than the atom bombs.
War mongers claim that they are fighting a war so that peace prevails. This is no justification. It only leads to death and destruction. It disrupts the normal life of the people and puts back the clock of progress by years. Colossal destruction of life and property results from a war, and then there is no arithmetic to measure the loss of finer and nobler human values woven in the fabric of human culture.
War unleashes brutality which is at its best during the period of war. Acts which are considered to be serious crimes on the part of individuals in peacetime are glorified and condoned in the name of valor and patriotism in times of war. War changes the boundaries and governments of nations develop permanent hatred and mistrust towards the opposed nation. When there is a war and when it ends, one power is the victor and the other the vanquished. The mind of men, during war, remains overshadowed with a sense of insecurity and danger and no constructive thinking could ever get a chance to flourish.
 If only nations could say goodbye to war forever! What a great amount of nation’s money, time, energy and human resources would be saved. Modern nations spend a considerable part of their budgets on defense. The amount spent after defense could be utilized for construction and creation and for the welfare of the people. Life of people could be made so rich and happy that there would be no war thereafter. When a nation enjoys peace, there are gains all around. A state of peace puts the mind of the common man at peace.
It is such a mind which can think new thoughts, plan new projects, discover the undiscovered and invent for the welfare of the people. It is only during peace that a literacy campaign can be started, that the standard of living of the masses can be raised, that better houses can be built for the poor, that more schools and colleges can be opened, that prisons can be reformed, that crime can be effectively checked. Even the proper working of democracy itself is possible only in times of peace. Thus, forces of construction and creation must be organized for lasting peace.
– Tanvi Shah
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