In remarks seen as attack on the United States, renowned South African freedom fighter Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Tuesday said that the war against terror cannot be won till causes behind the scourge are addressed and underlined that disagreements cannot be responded with 'force of annihilation.'
Hailing Mahatma Gandhi's ideology of non-violence, he said it was as relevant today as hundred years ago and emphasised that 'practices of injustice' can never have the last word.
"There is no way we can win the war against terror till we address the conditions, which make some of the people desperate and our brothers and sisters are treated as rubbish," he said, addressing the concluding session of two-day international conference in New Delhi to commemorate centenary of launch of Satyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi.
He referred to 'catastrophe' in Iraq and said that antagonists have resorted to violence but in the end real peace and stability can be achieved only through non-violent means and dialogue.
Addressing delegates from 88 countries at the conference, he also talked about conflicts in Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Sudan, Somalia and Myanmar and stressed the need for resolving these through peaceful means.
Tutu said that 'disagreements' should not be met by 'force of annihilation' but with 'forgiveness, negotiations and compromise.'
"There is need for seeing point of view of others," he said at the conference 'Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment: Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st century.'
Noting that there have been people like Adolf Hitler, Mussolini and Gen Alberto Pinochet who seemed 'invincible,' the South African leader emphasised the need for learning lessons from history sooner than later.
He pointed out that nobody remembers them but leaders of peace and tolerance like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama are revered and held in high esteem by the world 'because they are good.'
