29/06/2020
Pen is mightier than the sword
'If you want to change, the world pick up your pen and write' - Martin Luther
Pen is mightier than the sword is the quote by British writer Bulwer Lytton. As meaning is very clear when and pages have made more revolutionary changes in the history of the world than the sword. Here the meaning of the phrase could be expanded taking the meaning of pen as simple things or peaceful activities like non-violence and more. But no need of beating around the bush due to historical facts and realities. None of the human beings in the world could not prove so that sword's mighty is more powerful than pen. While discovery of iron resulted in the establishment and destruction of empires invention of printing press by Guttenberg in 1453 yielded not only in building the empires but also in originating ideologies in the world forever. It is obvious that discovery of printing press helped the pen to flow its powerful ink to every nook and corner of the world.
Meeting of pen and sword
Unfavorable circumstances had barred the ink of pen to make the changes in the world for a long time. But invention of printing press opened a new era of battle between the pen and the sword. If sword could the world for more than thousand years pen could overtake the dominance of sword within centuries. It is very clear in the history of the mankind that all progressive and revolutionary ideologies and movements broke out after the spread of weapon of voiceless and depressed classes i.e. pen.
It will be better to go through out the faces of world history to understand the value of pen almost freedom movements which broke out in the 18th and 19th century in the world especially in the Western world. There pen and paper were the tools which shook the foundations of empires and threatened the existence of thrones of emperors. Empires attempted to encounter the fastest moving of message among the masses while they spread the democratic messages of Plato and Aristotle with the chief weapon pen and paper. While the book of Rousseau was handed over from hands to hands the slogan liberty equality and fraternity was risen in the atmosphere which in the French revolution of 1789.
When industrial revolution resulted in urbanization and migration of the people to industrial areas in large scale rich people gathered the means of production and exploited the proletariat classes. It forced Karl Marx to put his ideas against the exploitation of bourgeois and taught the working class to dream a socialist state. None can discard the fact that idea of Marxism was spread with the pen not with sword. Writing of das kapital led to Russian Revolution and other Marxist revolutions in Eastern Europe. The utopian idea of a working-class state was countered by Adam Smith by writing wealth of nations. Still the ideological clashes in the world are continuing but the weapon to spread that is deciding dominance. The cheap means which were affordable and accessible to the masses with pen and paper. The ordinary people or the depressed people under the colonial powers also used the pen and paper to counter the power of empires. With the introduction of newspapers in the local languages too, power of pen overtake the power of sword in almost colonized Nations. That is why empires took destructive and oppressive actions against the press and journalism through special acts for example Vernacular Press Act in British India.
All colonized nations in Africa and South East Asia used the pen and paper to outreach to the common people to convince the nationalism and mobilize them against oppressive colonial ruling. Indian opinion by mahatma Gandhi in South Africa was such one to mobilize Indians in South Africa. Gandhi had realised the importance of chief means to communicate the mass. Therefore he continued to follow his ideas in India through Young India and Harijan. Not only Gandhi but also many national movement leaders saw pen as major weapon in British India like Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and BR Ambedkar. British government was scared of power of pen. That is why they imposed many restrictions on press freedom even though they provided it in their own land.
In modern world politics too, power of pen is one of the most powerful weapon which can destruct the empires. The recent killing of Saudi journalist Jamal khashoggi is the most suitable example for it. No need to go more, just looking to written constitutions in the world will be enough to understand the power of pen and press. Almost constitutions have put reasonable restrictions on freedom of press and speech even our constitution which provided it in article 19.
Pen not only changed the political history of the world but it influenced all ways of life of human beings. Social, religious, educational and feminist movements with the help of Pen. Scientists used the pen to reveal their conclusions, inventions and theories to the world. Charles Darwin spoke out the evolution theory. Stephen hawking told his theory through a brief history of time.
Literary world was flourished the publishing of some prominent books i.e. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, One 100 years of solitude by Gabriel Grace Marquez, Kite Runner by Khalid Hussain, Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone by JK Rowling and Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Major social movements against patriarchal mindset, colonial ruling, racism and terrorism ignited with the publishing of following books. Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe, Tropic of Cancer by Henry miller, Fear of flying by Erica Jong, Root by Alex Haley and the recent book the last girl by Nadia Murad.
It will be better now to compare the power of pen with the power of sword. While sword has geographic limitations, pen can carry the messages and ideas to all the corners of the world irrespective of all geographical barriers. Message carrying capacity of pen is much more than sword. About that, often the result of sword's use will be similar even if it was used by anybody. But the mighty of pen will be more extensive and widened one if pen was put by a good leader with good brain. Power of pen is long lasting one compared to the power of sword which will last to a specific time only. It is also to be remembered that result by the pen are more positive in nature and results of sword are more negative in nature.
Often pen has become the weapon of voiceless people while sword could be used only by the physically abled man, pen is more inclusive and could be used by all. In present and past, pen was the voice of depressed and opposite people. Due to it is affordability and accessibility pen always was the friend of women, backward classes, the oppressed people and environmental activists.
Despite the introduction of any powerful and destructive mass weapons in the modern world, benefits and advantage of pen are confined to itself due to its affordability and accessibility to the common people. Again and again, more inks of pen need to be flown in the blank page to change the world and to have better world where all the people will be happy with their social resources
