By TCN News,
New Delhi: Dr Mohammad Hanif Khan Shastri was conferred with the prestigious National Communal Harmony Award by Vice President of India Mohd. Hamid Ansari here on Friday. The 58-year-old noted Sanskrit scholar has been honored for promoting communal harmony by highlighting similarities between Hindu and Muslim religions through his literary contributions in Hindi and Sanskrit.
Shastri got the National Communal Harmony Award 2009 in the individual category. In the organization category the award for the year went to Rajasthan-based Centre for Human Rights and Social Welfare.
The National Communal Harmony Award 2010 was given to Acharya Lokesh Muni of Delhi. The award carries Rs 5 lakh cash for the organisation and Rs 2 lakh for the individual besides a citation.
Addressing the award distribution ceremony on 29th July 2011 Vice President Hamid Ansari said that the state has no choice but to intervene in instances of communal disharmony. Such interventions can either be preventive or corrective in nature. He also said that the general focus has remained on corrective steps due to the intense interest in the wake of incidents of communal disharmony. While this is necessary, it is not sufficient. We need a pervasive preventive approach to communal disharmony and a conscious programme of fostering communal harmony, he added.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh were also present at the award distribution ceremony.
The National Communal Harmony Awards were instituted in 1996 by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony, an autonomous body set up by the Ministry for promoting communal harmony and national integration.
Brief about the recipients:
Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari presenting the National Communal Harmony Award 2009 to Dr. Mohammad Hanif Khan Shastri, at a function, in New Delhi on July 29, 2011. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh are also seen.
Dr. Mohammad Hanif Khan Shastri: He is a noted Sanskrit scholar. The 58-year-old Shastri has authored several books. He has been doing his bid to promote communal harmony by highlighting similarities between Hindu and Muslim religions through his literary contributions in Hindi and Sanskrit. His books include Geeta Aur Quran men Samanjasya, Ved aur Quran se Mahamantra, and Gayatri aur Surah Fatiha.
Representative of Center for Human Rights & Social Welfare receiving the National Communal Harmony Award 2009
Centre for Human Rights and Social Welfare: It was registered in 1976. It is a social organisation working for communal harmony, human rights, welfare of the homeless and women, and rehabilitation of the needy and deprived persons. The organisation has campaigned against terrorism and actively participated in rehabilitation of the victims of bomb blasts in Jaipur in May 2008.
Acharya Lokesh Muni receiving the National Communal Harmony Award 2010
Acharya Lokesh Muni: Aged 49, Acharya Lokesh Muni is a writer, orator and social worker. He is the chief functionary of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati, a Delhi based voluntary organisation which aims at promoting non-violence, peace, communal harmony, working against female foeticide & drug addiction. Acharya Lokesh Muni worked to de-escalate Hindu Muslim strife after the Jama Masjid explosion in 2006-07 and tension between Dera Sacha Sauda and the Sikh community in 2007. He participated in a 1500 km walk from Haryana to Gujarat to promote communal harmony.