Irish Nobel laureate has a penchant for Indian ahimsa

Corrigan, who was in Chennai on Tuesday, enroute to Madurai, to participate in a series of programmes organised by the Association for Sarva Seva Farms, found time to present her ideas, which would ensure world peace, to The Indian Express.

On the chances of reunification of Northern and Southern Ireland, she said Northern Ireland today is a deeply divided and polarised society with each antagonistic segment fearful of the other.

“We need policies and institutions that evolve and build relations to bring together the fragmented sections of the society.”

“Nothing can be imposed on a people. A non-violent, democratic process is the answer to the conflict. Democrats have to accept the principle of consent as enunciated by Britain and strengthen the peace movement as well as the culture of non-violence. Otherwise the “tribal politics” of Northern Ireland will continue, she said.

Asked to explain the contradiction between the concept of nation-state that has built and fiercely nurtured independent nations and the necessity for a strong United Nations Organisation, she said nationalism has brought violence to the doorstep of nations through external and internal forces.

“In a shrinking world, nations can no longer afford to remain isolated. We need structures that ensure a sense of belonging to the peoples,” she stressed.

Terming nuclear programmes as a tragedy, she said the precious resources that could have been utilised in areas like education and health care have been diverted to building nuclear arsenals, and said the mindset has to change.

“Nuclear armament is evil,” she stated, adding that she, along with other Nobel laureates, has been insisting that the conventional arms trade across the world be severely curtailed.