By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The three-day international conference on “Towards Human Understanding Through Dialogue” concluded with a resolve to harness the creative potential and energies of various religions to foster culture of peace, harmonious co-existence, justice and development amongst different peoples at all levels.
The conference, which was held at India Islamic Cultural Centre here in New Delhi, underlined that necessary steps in this direction are needed at the national and international level. A valiant effort was made to arrest the drift towards increasing violence worldwide as well as within India, by faith leaders from different religious communities who came together at the conclave.
Shri Shivammurthy Murugha SharanaruThe conference got engaged in deliberations on challenges and opportunities in creating a humane society through dialogue in 21st century all over the world. As the dialogue is taken as a means, the conference paid special attention on its relevance, modes and dynamics to foster peace, equality and justice. It noted the ways and means to strengthen campaigns for creating synergy for furtherance of human understanding through dialogue. It also focused on aspects of humanising and liberating strength of religions to raise human understanding by using modern modes of technology. It highlighted the creative role and potential of India’s composite cultural heritage in establishing values of tolerance, mutual respect and harmonious coexistence.
The conference further resolved to prepare mechanism to push collaborative steps among interested quarters to popularize and maximize the benefits of dialogue in creating a humane society; to invite participation in international efforts and movements in spheres of dialogue among faiths, civilisations and cultures and to use out-reach channels to popularise these ideals, programmes and messages; to create effective mechanism like documentation centres, research institutes and organisations to undertake suitable activities like holding conferences, workshops etc. to popularize the ideas of dialogue among different cultures; to utilise religious structures and institutions to educate people to create good will, compassion and harmony among various groups and institutions. Special efforts are to be made to eradicate misconceptions about each other; to work out and establish remedial legal structures including preparation of legislative drafts to curb hate-campaigns, violence and other disruptive actions of vested interests; to create more specialised NGOs for taking up issues of peace through dialogue. Net-working of institutions and NGOs would help in achieving the purpose of dialogue among faiths, civilisations and cultures and to work to develop suitable structure to launch practical and viable programmes to use and popularize dialogue as an instrument of peace, equality and brotherhood among faiths, cultures and communities. This has to be converted into a mass movement to serve people at grass-root levels.
Meanwhile, in the valedictory address Shri Shivammurthy Murugha Sharanaru said that today modern civilisation is creating a very peculiar problem in every individual. Though the individual has temptation to talk from the heart, but is unwilling to speak due to ego complex. It is this ego of self supremacy coiling in us, which is not allowing us to talk to each other.
“We have to uncoil this complex. This job of uncoiling is the spirituality, which is the service to the mankind and that is the commitment to the cause of people. That is the healing touch we can give to the pains of society,” he opined.
Shri Sharanaru said: “Islam is very secure religion because of its principle. I am influenced by its righteousness. Though I have read the holy Quran very little but I have understood the spirit of Islam”.
Compared to the enormity of the issues that brought them together their efforts (and resources) were admittedly modest. The representation of faiths and the leadership level were nonetheless impressive. Prominent personalities who participated included Mahant Janamjey Shranji (president, Shri Ram Janambhoomi Mandir Nirman Nyas, Ayodhya); Dr. M. D. Thomas (National Director, Commission for Religious Harmony, CBCI, New Delhi); Swami Dharmanandji (Sadhna Kendra, Chhatarpur, New Delhi); Swami Tatgatanandji Maharaj (secretary, Ram Krishna Mission, Patna); Gurtej Singh IAS (Sikh scholar); Shankaracharya Shri Onkarananda Sarswati (Onkar Dham, New Delhi); Rev. Baddegama Samitha Thera (chief priest, Baddegama Buddhist Temple, Colombo, Sri Lanka); Shri Shivammurthy Murugha Sharanaru (Pontiff, Shri Murugha Math, Chitradurga, Karnataka).
That is only an abbreviated list of religious leaders. Religious leaders from Muslim and Jain community were also present in strength like Maulana Abdullah Mughasi, Maulana Abdullah Tariq, Maulana Sultan Ahmad Islahi, Dr Vir Sagar Jain and Dr Phoolchand Jain representing Islam and Jainism respectively. The meet was organised by the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS). Besides them there was a large contingent of intellectuals from different communities and places.
The conference, which could otherwise have easily descended into discordant, chaotic noises, did actually rise to the occasion by hammering out a consensus on emphasising and building on the similarities between all faith traditions and leaving alone their distinctions.
The chairman of the Institute of Objective Studies, Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, later told a small group of newspersons that at a “closed door session” of all the faith leaders had committed to fan out in the public arena and try to counter the virulent voices of hatred and fear with the message of love and mutual trust.
“The conference was a modest beginning of a massive global movement for a better, more peaceful and just world with a great role for India in it,” Dr. Alam pointed out.
It may be mentioned here that the faith leaders had taken the initiative on the suggestion of former Chief Justice A. M. Ahmadi, who while chairing the inaugural session, had suggested that the gurus, dharmacharyas, maulanas, sufis and swamis should extend their nice talk in the “air-conditioned auditorium” to the large masses outside it all over the country.
There was a consensus among the participants over the fact that certain violent groups had hijacked the authority of religion to spread violence against other religious communities. Mahant Janamjey Sharanji observed that such elements became particularly active in the election season. As elections were drawing close it was important for religious and civil society leaders to act in time to stop their mischief. He offered to assist the building of mosques, gurudwaras, Buddha and Jain temples and churches, and also invited all religious communities to help build the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
Shankracharya Shri Onkaranand Sarswatiji observed that at this moment of stress it was more important to build bridges of understanding rather than building places of worship. Maulana Mughaisi, who is the President of All India Milli Council, explained, “one of the cardinal principles of Islam is: ‘stop the zaalim (oppressor) from tormenting the mazloom (oppressed), and help the latter’.” He said it could be a good principle for all faith leaders to unite on.
Later, the general secretary of IOS, Prof. Z. M. Khan, told newspersons that they were going to launch a countryside movement for interfaith dialogue and amity. On the other hand, foreign delegates like Dr. Samir Qasim Fakhro, Vice-Chancellor of Arab Open University in Bahrain and UNESCO consultant, said it was consistent with a global initiative of inter-faith understanding launched by the Saudi king who had hosted two international meets at Makkah and Madrid earlier this year. ([email protected])