SPEECH IN BELGRADE

SPEECH IN BELGRADESPEECH IN BELGRADE
By Raja J.P. Bahadur Singh

[On Saturday, May 18th 1929, RAJA J.P. BAHADUR SINGH, President of the Humanistic Club, Bangalore, South India, delivered a speech on THE HUMANISTIC METHODS FOR THE PROMOTION OF PEACE AND GOODWILL AMONG MEN, under the auspices of the ANGLOJUGOSLAV CLUB, II, Pezorira ulica, Belgrade. The chair was taken by ALEXANDER YOVICIC ESQ, formerly charge de Affairs in the Serbian Legation in London. On the platform were present the distinguished Metaphysician. DR. BRANA PETRONIJEVIC, formerly Professor of Philosophy in the University of Belgrade, and the Poet, DR. SIBE MELICIC of the Ministry of Affairs in Belgrade. The lecture was translated by DR. VLADETA POPOVIC of the University of Belgrade. A vote of thanks was proposed by J.W.WILES ESQ, General Secretary for Eastern Europe of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and unanimously carried by the large audience.]

The Chairman's Introductory Remarks.

The Chairman, Mr. Alexander Yovicic, in introducing the Lecture, Col. Raja J.P. Bahadur Singh, among other Statements quoted a few sentences of H.M. the king of S.H.S. which had reference to the subject matter of the evening's lecture: -

His Majesty the King of S.H.S., Yugoslavia, Alexander I, when in February last he granted an interviews to the special delegate of Reuters Agency, Fergusson, said.
'We are sincere in our love of peace, and we desire to respect the agreements faithfully and to avoid every provocation. War is not only a national misfortune, but an international one. All our parties, however much divided in respect of internal questions, are of one accord with the spirit of Peace, which must guide our policy. Our only desire is to walk on the road of Peace; and, as regards internal affairs, we must so arrange them as to develop our resources and encourage Production.'

This, the Chairman said was communicated to him by Prof. Kostakalichich, Secondary School Master- a lecturer in the School of Yugoslavia, under the authority of the Ministry of Education.

The Introductory remarks of the Chairman being over, the Lecturer of the evening, Col. Raja. J.P. Bahadur Singh, delivered the following speech: -

RAJA J.P. BAHADUR SINGH'S SPEECH

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been visiting various countries in Europe for the last two months in order to suggest as well as to learn something for the promotion of peace and goodwill among mankind. You know that humanity day by day is being divided into more and more parties, classes and communities, fighting with each other and thus bringing untold misery and distress both to them and their countries.

But, as I have been only a few days in this country, I have not been able to find out whether there are such antagonistic parties and classes here with are likely to cause misery to themselves and their country. But there are countries which I know of, both in the West and the East, which have got such parties, creeds and classes as are fighting with each other and causing troubles of all sorts. This is the reason why I am suggesting the building of peace in one's own country first, and then to spread it among the neighborhood, gradually enlarging the circle till it becomes world-wide.

If you people of Yugoslavia are united, peaceful and happy, will you guide us to reach that level of mentality by showing to the rest of the world the methods by which you have been able to attain that stage of civilization? If, however, your country is also in the same state of division and discord, will you make an organised effort to bring about comfort and happiness by adopting such methods as are the safest to all concerned?
The Humanistic Club which I have organized in India is the result of a humble attempt on my part to bring about comfort and happiness through peace, unity and co-operation.
The Methods adopted in this Club are:

To explain to the general public in the right light the universal Law of self-preservation which every living being in the world follows and observes. The first and for most desire of man as well as the animal is to preserve his life. All other desires are secondary to this. Now, there are persons who say that self-preservation is the law of the animal life and not of man who has risen above the animal level. Among men, they say, the law of life must be self-sacrifice and not self-preservation. But there I do not care to dispute if self-sacrifice is a higher principle of life than self-preservation; but, this is certain that throughout the ages self-preservation and not self-sacrifice has been the impetus to all man's progress and civilization. It was because of this desire to preserve his life that man built houses to shield himself from the cold and rain; it was because of his desire for self-preservation that man tilled the ground and sowed the seed; it was again because of this desire that man thought out and invented all his inventions. Thus, it is the need for self-preservation that has led man slowly onward from the primitive stage of barbarism through the stages of increasing safety and security on to the days of modern civilization. Self-sacrifice may be a higher principle of life, but it is essentially a principle of saints and sages who know when and how to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of others. Suicide committed by average man is not to be counted as self-sacrifice.

Now, having established that the desire for self-preservation is at the bottom of all the bustle and strife and struggle that we see around us, we come to the question, 'What are the best methods to be employed by man for self-preservation?' Among animals we see that the methods employed are cunning, force and brutality. The weaker employ cunning and guile to preserve their lives, while the stronger make use of their strength and ferocity for the same end.

Now, the question arises.- 'Has not man who is a higher being than the animal and who is endowed with the capacity of reason and deliberation evolved through long ages some better and more effective means for self-preservation than mere cunning or force?' And the answer that I for one would give to this question is that he certainly has. And these methods that he has evolved are unity and co-operation. Though the use of the deliberative capacity men have learnt that, through unity and co-operation, they can preserve their lives more easily than through the use of cunning or brutality. If man had not learnt this in the very beginning, all the progress that he has made would never have been made, and he himself would have been extinct long ago like other animals which are extinct.

Man, of course, knows this and also the utility of co-operation; for, he knows that he cannot solely depend upon himself either for the production of food he has to eat for the preservation of his life, or for the clothes he has to wear to cover himself from shame and cold, or again for the construction of the house he has to live in to protect himself from rain and sun. Thus, among men there is this mutual dependence for the preservation of life, whereas among the animals, except the very young, each depends upon itself to preserve and maintain its life. It is with the object of keeping this mutual dependence and co-operation in tact that man has made all rules and regulations, and laws and religions. It is again on this inter-dependence of man that the great structure of society, ethics and morality has its foundation. But man often forgets this necessity for mutual dependence in order to preserve his life, the result being war and strife, division and discord.

It was therefore, with the object of reminding people in their play, in their recreation, and even in their light-heartedness the duty of a man as Man and the utility of peace, co-operation and unity, and the necessity for mutual dependence for the preservation of life that the HUMANISTIC CLUB was started in India. And, as time and human inventions have bridged the distance between far-off countries, we can count upon any country as our neighbour, if we can only establish connections with it for the exchange of ideas for the common interest and benefit of humanity. It is only by linking together different peoples and countries in a chain of mutual sympathy and understanding that we shall be able to promote peace and goodwill among mankind. You will agree with me when I say that to attempt to bring about peaceful and law-abiding attitude is neither a sin nor a crime. I therefore request such interested persons of every country as may agree with may views to make some sorts of arrangements to facilitate the exchange of views with different countries for finding out methods for presenting this Humanistic Idea of peace, unity and co-operation to the general public as often and as persistently as possible. I am aware that there is nothing new in this idea of unity, goodwill and co-operation. It has been taught in every religion, by every prophet and saint. But, to-day more than ever before, it requires out-telling and re-emphasizing. The last Great War has left not only Europe but the whole world in a state of great insecurity not only as regards the political affairs of different countries, but also the social and religious affairs. It is a little over ten years since the Great War came to a close; but still its after-effects have not by any means disappeared. As a result of the war to-day there is to be found everywhere discontent and division in the political sphere, in the social sphere and in the sphere of religion. The unfortunate result of all this is that men are being divided everyday more and more among themselves. Therefore, to-day, the gospel of unity and co-operation requires to be preached in the ears of men louder and more persistently than ever before.

But now comes the question whether the people are ready to accept this idea of unity and co-operation. Several persons whom I met during my travel in Europe told me that in this age the people are very materialistic and will not accept what is not especially calculated to further material interests. To this I would say that the ideals of unity and co-operation are not like some religious doctrines which only the eye of faith can see having no scientific proof-such doctrines fore instance as preach the existence of Hell and Heaven.

The ideals of self-preservation, unity and co-operation for which the Humanistic Club stands are self-evident, requiring no outside proof whatever. For no one, if asked whether he would like to live or not, would reply in the negative. For, again if anyone were asked if he would not like to make his life comfortable and happy, would say that he would not. So, the first doctrine of the Club, namely, the doctrine of self-preservation, stands unquestioned.

Now, when we come to the second doctrine, the doctrine of peace, goodwill and co-operation as the best means for self-preservation, certainly, there cannot be two answers. Or, in other words, if we consider the question whether man can live better and more comfortably under conditions of peace, unity and goodwill or under conditions of war, division and discord, here again I say there cannot be two answers. The atmosphere of peace and goodwill is certainly more favourable to the maintenance of life than the atmosphere of wars and battles.
Almost every country of the world accepted the necessity of such an institution as the League of Nations for the promotion of international peace; So, it is evident that all want peace; but unless every country makes an effort to unite the hearts of the people by promoting inter-class and inter-party harmony, we shall be leaving the League of Nations to construct its castle of peace in the air without foundation.

If we want peace, if we want safety, comfort and happiness, we have to cultivate the minds of the people at large inculcating the fundamental principle of the oneness of humanity and the necessity of living in unity and friendliness among themselves.

CONCLUSION

After the Raja's Speech, MR. J.W. WILES, M. A., a Life-Member of Christi's College, Cambridge, England, said: -

"We ought, I think, very heartily to thank the Lecturer of this evening for coming into out midst, in order to make such an appeal. The Lecturer has shown us that the deepest intuitions of the human heart in regard to the life of spiritual harmony and true brotherhood are not like some blind and fanatical faith-which may do evil things and spread hatred in the name of God-but are a true light that corresponds to, and is indeed supported by, the highest Reason. This is indeed a great message, and one which is badly needed in this hour of human history."
"If I understand the Lecture aright, he has challenged each one of us to ask ourselves. 'Are my deepest intuitions in regard to the real and eternal beauty of the unselfish and fraternal life only a mere delusion, after all ?' Every one of us here present should answer that challenge. The man who returns the answer that his deepest intuitions are a delusion is really blowing out his own light. If he says in his own heart, 'What the Lecturer has said is just a beautiful Utopia, nice to listen to, but quite impossible in daily life'- such a man, I say, is really going back to the life of the jungle, and making it harder for every other man to guide his life by principles of co-operation and fellowship. And yet we know in our hearts all the while that the greatest things in civic and in national life have been accomplished by great positive principles and not by negative attitudes. Nothing could have been cooler and calmer than the statements of our Visitor this evening: he has appealed not to a blinded and prejudiced reason, but to that Higher Reason which affirms our deepest and noblest intuitions. Of course, we any may all deny or repudiate this appeal; but if we deny such things as these, we know too well that we are helping to make more possible a second Great War ! During the war, we spoke of "the War that was to end War". I suppose that out Visitor would agree that there is just as much sense in this philosophy as in knocking a man down and flecking his eye in the expectation that for ever afterward he will be your dearest friend !

Following Mr. Wiles, PROF. KATAKULICHICH remarked,
The Indians have been inspired by the idea of Peace from time immemorial. The teaching of Buddha spread in Tibet, Mongolia and Bhutan. Particularly, the Dalai Lama and his order of monks willingly accepted the peace-loving teachings. Hence, in the countries mentioned above there were not many wars. The Code of Manu prescribed the attitude of man to his enemies. In the poem, the Bhagavat Purana, there are found passages expressive of love of Peace. From these instances, one learns that Indians have been most advanced as peace-loving people.

I am very much pleased with the fact that a son of India comes to Europe to remind her of the necessity of cultivating peace and friendly relations among different men. I am very much struck by the suggestion that one should work for Unity and co-operation in one's own country as the best means of promoting inter-national peace. Such a message is praise-worthy, and very body in the audience have welcomed it with joy.

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