International Day for Tolerance Celebrated
with Involving young students from from two Colleges & four Schools
National
Tele24 News
Chandigarh
Today, under a ‘1 India’
campaign started by Yuvsatta-an NGO, International Day for Tolerance was
celebrated with organization of an Interfaith Harmony Meet, at Peoples
Convention Centre, by Yuvsatta-an NGO, Dev Samaj College of Education and
Peoples Convention Centre. 100 Students from two colleges namely Chandigarh
Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (CIHM), Dev Samaj
College of Education, and four Schools of Delhi Public School, Carmel
Convent School, New Public School, St. Stephen’s School, Sector 45B, Chandigarh
participated. Prominent speakers included Father Lawrence Benedict of
Christ the King Cathedral, Sector 19, Moulana Mohd. Ajmal Khan, Imam,
Jama Masjid, Sector 20A, Prof. Kulwant Singh, President, Institute of Sikh
Studies, Chandigarh and Prof. Shyam Sunder of Shri Hanuman Teerath, Sector 25, Panchkula. Addressing the gathering Prof. Shyam Sunder shared that Indian civilization which is based on co-existence of faiths -
Sarva Dharma Sambhava, implies equal respect for all Dharmas. Elaborating this,
Vivekananda used the metaphor of many rivers flowing into one mighty
ocean. Prof. Kulwant Singh added that all religions lead to
the same God and differences among them are not essential. Indeed, the goal of
every religion is the same. The spirit of the founders of the different
religions was the same though rituals differ. Moulana Mohd. Ajmal Khan said
that Islam teaches peace and love for mankind. And to combat all forms of expression which incite sectarian hatred,
society as a whole should take action against dissemination of such material in
the mass media. Government should introduce inter-religious
education in schools as part of the curriculum so as to promote communal
harmony. Father Lawrence emphasized that first we should promote
unity in families first, which will lead us to a united country. And we
also should believe in our young people. If we need a strong India, we have to
first make our youth strong by inculcating values of right speech, thinking and
action. And this process in a systematic manner should start from childhood. Taking
part in this discussion Sukaina class 8th student of Carmel
Convent School shared that she feel happy to study in a School where equal
treatment for all students irrespective of their economic or religious
background is practiced. And for permanent peace this spirit should percolate
in our society as well. Shatakshi Badhan of Delhi Public School added that it
is prerequisite for a strong country that all young people should not only
stand for our rights but for rights of others as well. Faiz Ansari a Class 10th students
of New Public School was of the view that spirit of oneness is need of the hour
and it can only be promoted if instead of ‘I’, all people believe in power
‘We’.
In her concluding
remarks Prof. Gurdev Kaur, former Principal of Government College, Derrabasi, mentioned that “India
has been home for centuries to all great religions of the world and has learnt
to live together, grow together and learn together. And even as each one of us
remains devoted to our own individual faith, we have learnt to respect the
faith of another. This has been the basis of our nationhood.”
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