Miscellaneous - This Day That Age   

dated January 23, 1956: East's valuable message

Dr. A. Lakshmanaswamy Mudaliar, Vice-Chancellor, Madras University, said in Calcutta on January 22 that while the West had, for its concept of a peaceful world, force conquering force, the East always had a different concept for the preservation of peace and for the welfare of humanity. "Our Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, with the true instinct of the East, realising that force can never conquer force, has given to the world the message of the East in the two significant terms, coexistence and Panch Shila, winged words that may yet prove the salvation of the world," said Dr. Mudaliar, addressing the annual convocation of the Calcutta University. "We are greatly indebted to the West for the many discoveries that have been made in recent years and the knowledge that has flowed in an ever increasing degree from the West to the East. In the many scientific discoveries and technical and technological advances that have been made the West has been the pioneer and has certainly contributed greatly to the material advancement and welfare of the world. But may I be permitted to state that historically the East has made a significant contribution through the ages in the enrichment of human knowledge in the eternal verities of life, which alone form the bedrock of human progress, true happiness and peace. The Messiahs of the world, Confucius, Buddha, Zoroaster, Mohammed and Jesus Christ, all came from the East to spread their message far and wide and later came some of the great exponents of these faiths and saints and philosophers like Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Vivekananda and in our own times Mahatma Gandhi. Thus, it happens that while the West has for its concept of a peaceful world, force conquering force, the East has always had a different concept for the preservation of peace and for the welfare of humanity."

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