By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: The Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Balram Jakhar presided over the first session of the 4th International Conference on Federalism on the second day of the two-day event at New Delhi at Vigyan Bhawan. The topic of discussion was ‘Can Unity and Diversity be Reconciled’.
In his address, Dr. Jakhar reportedly said that if diversity is the law of nature and unity is the final justice. Where unity prevails, peace and prosperity follow. He said that they may be two different words but they are two sides of the same coin. God created all men as equals but it was the man who made the world a multi-polar entity. He said that along with the progress in civilization diversities too developed and therein began the differences.
An official Press release said that Dr. Jakhar also remembered the contributions of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Ambedkar, Abul Kalam Azad, Indira Gandhi who were people of great wisdom and foresight. He said that they all thought in making a new India, we must respect the inherent spirit of diversity. There was absolute freedom for all to pursue their political ideologies. All languages and religions were given equal status and this had made India strong. Although there were occasional manifestations of disputes and differences but this was natural in a country with more than a billion people.
He also touched upon India’s historical legacy. He said that Indian society had always advocated and promoted pluralism. Two of our great emperors, Ashoka and Akbar had demonstrated that making a conflict-free society is possible. Hinduism, Christianity and Islam had co-existed and this had led to a culture of unity. People of all religions had not only learn to live with each other but they had enriched themselves by learning from each other.
Dr.Jakhar said imperialism had made several countries such as India and Africa undergo a serious trauma of exploitation and suffering. It had disturbed the stream of our socio-economic progress. Although we did have some benefits from our European occupiers, but they came at a heavy price. The cultural fabric of India, Malaysia and South Africa needed to survive the impact of this heartless imperialism. As we gained freedom the main challenge that the new leadership of India, Malaysia and South Africa faced was to reconcile the negative trends of the divisive forces that the imperialist regime had unleashed to further their interests. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the newly emerged leadership in these countries were aware of these challenges from within and have succeeded to a considerable extent, in addressing them positively, he added.
Referring to his term as the Speaker of the Indian Parliament, he felt that the Lok Sabha was the most vibrant house in the world. The parliamentarians came from different socio-religious backgrounds and spoke different languages apart from subscribing to different political ideologies. Yet, when it came to making a new India there was always a homogenous unanimity of perceptions. Dr. Jakhar said that he was proud of having been a part of this great political spectacle.
Addressing the representatives of the different countries, Dr. Jakhar said that the world had changed a great deal in the 21st century. All countries had learnt to respect and recognize differences.
Claiming that he had always been an optimist, he said that he was sure that the future would be better than the past. He was positive that the question ‘Can Unity and Diversity be Reconciled’ would find an affirmative answer and the young men and women of today’s world would be able to rise to the challenges with their energy and brilliance. ([email protected])