Bhopal: Religious heads of virtually all religions came together here in Bhopal on Friday evening to form Dharmik Jan Morcha to resist the ongoing hate-mongering prevailing in the country and establish communal harmony.
On this occasion, a seminar on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Establishing Harmony” was held at the Hotel Silver Inn, Bhopal. Religious leaders emphasized the importance of improving social and religious unity and communal harmony during the seminar.
The event was chaired by Prof. Mohammad Salim Engineer, the National Vice-President of Jamat-e-Islami Hind and also the National Coordinator of the Dharmik Jan Morcha, which has been active in India since 2001. Syed Ali, who conducted the program, shed light on the works and efforts of the Dharmik Jan Morcha across the country.
In his presidential speech, Prof. Engineer Mohammad Salim stated that religion connects all humans and inspires unity, peace and harmony in society. He mentioned that some political figures misuse religion for political purposes, tarnishing its reputation and highlighted the need to avoid such misuse.
Prof. Salim Engineer said: “Our country is a land of diversities, home to most of the world’s religions, and we have lived together here for centuries. Our diversity is not our weakness but our strength. The real picture of India is all of us sitting together here. Despite having different views, it’s necessary for all citizens to live together in harmony. A common misconception today is that religion is the cause of disputes which is not true; the misuse of religion is the real root of conflicts he opined.
Continuing Prof. Engineer said that the actual cause of social discrimination is the misuse of religion for selfish ends. Dialogue among religious leaders is very necessary. This platform is for mutual dialogue so that we can support each other. We should work together on things that have a consensus in society and by doing so, we can send a positive message to society. Our opinions may differ, and if someone disagrees, we should accept them, but respect for each other should not diminish. We want a platform for religious leaders, hence efforts are being made in every state.”
The seminar was attended by religious leaders from various communities, including Bhim Singh and Sanjay Kumar Khairwar from the tribal community, Pastor Samuel B Francis, Fr. Ishwardas and Fr. Alfred D’Souza from the Christian community, social worker Engineer Ajay Singh, Ramchandra Raikwar from the Gayatri Parivar, social worker Ashok Juneja, Bhante Rahul Ji and Bhikkhuni Sanghamitra from the Buddhist community, Fr. Anand Mutungal, founder of the All-Religion Harmony Platform, Narendra Dixit and Gyani Gurvinder Singh from Gurudwara Anandnagar, Mahant Pandit Dr. R. P. Tripathi from Gufa Temple, Dr. Hamid Baig, Mohammad Imtiyaz, and Dr. Shahid Ali from Jamat-e-Islami Hind, Brahma Kumari Leela Bahen and Brahma Kumari Rajkumari, amongst others.
Representatives of different religions emphasized the need for love and brotherhood in society and called for collective efforts from people of all religions.
Brahma Kumari Leela Behen stated, “If there is hatred and disgust in society, it will weaken us. Therefore, we must not let our society and country to get weak.” Fr. Anand Mutungal of the Christian faith said: “Religion teaches us to love, and that is its true essence. Being religious does not mean hating others; anyone who does so is not truly religious.”
Shri Gyani Gurvinder Singh of Bhopal stated: “Until one’s intentions are good, one cannot prosper. If you do good to others, good will come back to you. He mentioned that there are many evils in society today, and religious leaders play a crucial role in eradicating these evils. It’s our responsibility to be aware of our society.
Founder of Sarvadharm Sadbhavna Manch, Pandit Narendra Dixit said, “Humanity is above all religions. Using religion in politics is awful. There is a need to separate religion from politics. For the sake of humanity and building India, we need to work, and for this, such platforms are necessary”, he stressed.
Bhante Rahul of Buddhism stated, “Religion should not be used to spread hatred but for harmony. This is the true purpose of religion.”
At the outset Syed Ali explained the purpose behind the establishment of the Dharmik Jan Morcha in detail. All participating religious leaders were honoured with mementos. In the end, the organizer of the event, Syed Ali, thanked Almighty Allah and the participants of the seminar.
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