Colombian rebel group FARC to adopt Gandhian principles

By NewsGram Staff Writer

Indian ideals of non-violence have always made their impact felt in the world, the Gandhian principles being increasingly followed by all peace loving nations.

Continuing the trend, leaders of Colombia's guerrilla movement Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia(FARC) have agreed to follow Gandhian principle of non-violence to attain its political objectives.

Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, on his three day visit to Cuba, held several rounds of discussions with leaders of the FARC for the peace-building process in Colombia.

After facing many hurdles in the past three years, the Colombian government in Cuba was holding peace talks with the FARC leaders, who had invited Sri Sri to mediate in the process.

"In this conflict everyone should be considered as victims. And inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help", Sri Sri said.

"The FARC has finally agreed to embrace the Gandhian principle of non-violence", Karthik Krishna, a spokesperson for Art of Living told PTI.

On the other hand, FARC Commander Ivan Marquez said they would adopt non-violent means for attaining their political goals.

"We will work for peace and justice for all the people of Colombia", Marquez said.

FARC is a left-wing guerrilla movement involved in the Colombian armed conflict since 1964 and has been designated a terrorist organization by the UN and USA.

Peace talks have been hammered out since November 2012 by FARC to bring an end to five decades of war and conflict, which has killed more than 2,00,000 people and uprooted more than six million people.