My Expressions

Time has come when we all are surrounded by negativity, depression and other mental issues amid the many global issues. Peace, positive thoughts and self-talk have become the need of the hour.

To address the issue, the School of Education, NSS and Rotaract Club, Apeejay Stya University in association with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti under Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India organised an orientation programme on Nonviolent Communication on April 20, 2021.

Dr. Vedabhyas Kundu, Programme Officer, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti shared the importance of a healthy communication ecosystem. He believes that communication is as important as the food we eat and the oxygen we breathe. “Our communication process is continuous, always changing, interactive and irreversible,” he said. Here are some of his views, which are very powerful for all, young and old:

Power of words and mutual tolerance

At a time, when WhatsApp ‘University’ is flourishing, people have become more opinionated and verbal, “Words have both the power to destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world,” Dr. Kundu believes.

Remembering Mahatma Gandhi, he recalled his belief—“The golden rule of conduct is mutual tolerance, seeing that we will never all think alike and we shall always see the truth in fragments and from different angles of vision.”

Non-violent communication

“Nonviolent communication is a powerful tool of effective communication which helps individuals to connect and engage with not only themselves but their families, friends and the society at large. It is based on pillars of Gandhian nonviolence-mutual respect, understanding, acceptance, appreciation and compassion,” he said.

Nonviolent communication not only helps in emotional bridge-building but also is an important tool to resolve disputes and conflicts. If we nurture the habit of using nonviolent communication in our daily lives, we will be able to overcome many problems in our families and society.

Power of reflection and self-communication

“In today’s world, we are living amidst a lot of negativities. Besides, with the rise of digital technologies, most of us do not have time for ourselves. This reflects on our daily habits”, he said. “Most of us spend time browsing smartphones, consuming social media diets. We never calculate the amount of time we spend texting or on social media. As a result, very little time is left for ourselves”, he said.

“Once we start communicating with ourselves – ‘self-talk’ -, we will develop patience and before arguing with others, we will start reflecting. We can practice nonviolent communication by observing our inner self and deeply listening to our self-talk. Along with self-talk, usage of appropriate and positive language is a must”, he concluded.

Apeejay Stya University’s emphasis on community work

Dr. Vijay Kumar, programme coordinator of NSS & Rotaract Club while thanking Dr. Kundu for his great work popularising the Gandhian way of life globally, said that at Apeejay Stya University, we lay great emphasis on inculcation of human values amongst students and community work and without doing community work, students can’t get a degree in ASU. Dr. Kundu offered to collaborate with ASU in future events. School of Education, Apeejay Stya University is organising an international conference on education for peace, prudence and prosperity in collaboration with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti in the coming month.   

About Apeejay Stya University

ASU is a UGC recognised university, established by the Apeejay Stya Education Foundation – an initiative of the diversified business conglomerate, Apeejay Stya & Svran Group, led by Mrs. Sushma Paul Berlia, a leading entrepreneur and educationist.

Established in 2010, the Apeejay Stya University is India’s 1st Industry-Centric Technology & Liberal Arts University focused on Research & Innovation.  It carries forth the Apeejay Stya legacy of over 50 years of excellence in education.

At ASU, students can explore varied domains like Management, Design & Visual Arts, Engineering & Technology, Mass Communication, Education, Biosciences, Legal Studies and Pharmaceutical Sciences through experiential learning.

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