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Hopes of harmony
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Dakshina Kannada is witness to a small but significant movement of harmony, Dharma Samanvaya, initiated by industrialists and educationists
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Building a society where people of different faiths live in harmony is Dharma Samanvaya's objective.
"LET NOBLE thoughts come to us from everywhere," is an adage well-known worldview. The world we live in boasts of scientific and technological achievements that have helped overcome distances and turn the world into a global village. Yet, there is violence, war, and destruction and peace is the need of the day. Herein lies the key to the birth of Dharma Samanvaya, a movement for religious harmony. Recognising the inherent dangers of a world of violence, a group of like-minded people from different sections of society and with a serious concern for welfare and safety, has been taking initiatives to move towards a peaceful society beginning right from the local level, the Dakshina Kannnada district.
The vision
On the initiative of eminent industrialist, N. Vinaya Hegde, and supported by the Head of Chair in Christianity, Mangalore University, John Fernandes, the movement, Dharma Samanvaya was born. "Our vision is to build a society in which different communities live in harmony. It should be a peaceful and integrated society. Our aim is to come to a better understanding of the beliefs and practices of others, to strengthen the bond of unity between the followers of Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and other religions by discovering and strengthening facets that unite us. What is different (the diversity) in these religions should be respected and each should enrich the other," says Mr. Fernandes.
India has been the cradle to many world religions — Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. It has also welcomed and nursed other religions such as Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Bahai, and other faiths. The basic characteristic of Indian culture has been its openness to different faiths. The unity of a nation is in the diversity of its religions, cultures, ethnic, and linguistic patterns, and Mr. Fernandes says Dakshina Kannada was a specific example of this pattern.
Mr. Fernandes, however, points out that this happy situation has been changing at the global, national and local levels "owing to religious fundamentalism".
There is a growing atmosphere of suspicion, conflict, and violence between communities. Even in Dakshina Kannada, conflicts between religious communities have been simmering and this is a disturbing trend, points out Mr. Fernandes.
Referring to the vision of Dharma Samanvaya, he notes that to put it into practice, educational institutions were chosen as the first outreach point. "Getting to schools and colleges was our plan. We (promoters of Dharma Samanvaya) began meeting the representatives of a few educational institutions managed by people of various communities and started the programme," says Mr. Fernandes. About 50 persons from 26 institutions in and around Mangalore have been meeting at regular intervals, learning about other faiths, practices, symbols, and festivals. "We have gradually evolved a plan of action. It aims at preparing our schools and colleges to take steps towards making their children and students learn about each other's religion." The plan entails celebrating religious and national festivals together, working together for a social cause, and sharing the tenets of harmonious living. Efforts will be made to motivate and train staff members, social workers and students by organising training programmes, camps, seminars, and workshops.
Steps initiated
Steps have been initiated to network with people and organisations working on similar lines. The group has been coordinating with other groups in the district and in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and New Delhi. Dharma Samanvaya is also in contact with international movements such as Global Ethic Foundation and Parliament of World's Religions.
Mr. Fernandes says educational institutions could join Dharma Samanvaya in their endeavour to achieve social harmony through inter-religious dialogue. He has appealed to educationists, social workers, NGOs and like-minded people "to join them in pursuit of a common objective of all faiths"
For more information on the movement, Mr.Fernandes can be contacted on 2214634.
JAIDEEP SHENOY
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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