Peace and Conflict: Reflections on Indian Thinking

The Indian culture and civilization embodies a unique blend of peace and conflict trajectories. This historical legacy has indubitably moulded the course of our policy and action. However, there are aspects which are queried and contested. For instance, how do we reconcile the ambiguities and opposing claims on peacefulness in Indian lineage? The paper reflects afresh on some of these lingering contestations and decodes the historical transferences in the subcontinental thinking and popular imagination. The paper argues that despite admitting contrary ideas and practices, India in course developed an intrinsic stake in advocating peace—an image that resonates in India’s contemporary policy statements and also when it is censured for disowning it.