The Hindu : New Delhi News : Seminar calls for strategies to resolve conflicts

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Sunday, Oct 15, 2006
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Seminar calls for strategies to resolve conflicts

Staff Reporter

Seminar on "Universalism and Peaceful Co-existence" organised by Sant Nirankari Mission

Satguru Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj

NEW DELHI: Eminent speakers, including Satguru Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj, on Saturday called upon the peoples of the world and also the governments to work out strategies that would help in resolving conflicts.

Inaugurating a seminar on "Universalism and Peaceful Co-existence" organised by Sant Nirankari Mission here, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) president Karan Singh said people's methods of offering prayers should not become a cause for conflict and that all religions should work towards creating an environment that helps people co-exist peacefully.

Dr. Karan Singh said he was born in a State where, while following one's own religion, he also offered prayers at the dargahs. He said the Hindu religion in its true essence always talked of peaceful co-existence.

Delivering the presidential address, Baba Hardev Singhji Maharaj said there was an essence of spiritualism in every religion that needed to be tapped. "There has to be a collective effort to ensure that possible points of conflict do not actually become flashpoints," he said, adding that spiritualism helped in smoothening ruffled feathers.

Baba Hardev Singhji added that while a lot of materialistic achievement had accrued to the world, it had gradually lost touch with its spiritual side. Therefore, various governments worldwide who otherwise take a lot of pride in formulating economic policies for financial betterment of their peoples should also consult the spiritual lights in their lands to foster the message of peaceful co-existence and universalism.

"There is no dearth of means in today's world but these need to be used for spiritual betterment of the people and not lead to situations where everybody was ready to kill everybody else for petty gains," said Baba Hardev Singhji.

Among those who attended the seminar at Sri Sathya Sai International Auditorium on Lodhi Road were former CBI Director D. R. Karthikeyan, Khwaja Iftikhar Ahmed and Madhav Mehra of the London-based Environment Foundation.

A short documentary film on Sant Nirankari Mission's approach to universalism and global peace was also shown.

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