Moderating the 'Sauharda Sangama 2013' programme held in Mangalore on Sunday, Dr. Dharma said that what people lack today is the sense of tolerating another culture and system. “This feeling of tolerance has to develop within people and it requires sacrifice of ego. Sacrifice was the method adopted by Mahatma Gandhi to bring people together and the same needs to be adopted today to attain harmony in society”, he opined.
Growing exhibition of faith on streets rather than being an integral part of self is another saddening development today, he noted.
Dr. Mohan Alva, Chairman, Alva's Education Foundation, said that diversity is inevitable and by nature brings with it a degree of conflicts. However, India as a country has for centuries survived these conflicts, he said, while stating that respecting diversity is a mark of civilization. People cutting across religious, caste, creed, language and geographical barriers have enriched the country's culture and diversity which is not being recognized.
The contribution of Muslims to Hindustani music and the folk art of north-eastern states continue to remain neglected. Although spiritual and religious heads talk of equality and humanity, a number of educational institutions running under them are mostly community and caste-oriented. There is a need to recognize equality and humanity in its true spirit and open the gates of education and opportunity to one and all without any discrimination, Dr. Alva said.
Dr. A M Khan, Chiarman, Department of Electronics, Mangalore University, in his address said that harmony must first be achieved in self before bringing it to the society. Education has a much bigger role to play in creating harmony in society, he said, and lamented that the current education system continues to remain literacy oriented rather than a source of enlightenment of the right and wrong. Individuality has to give way to togetherness, he said, urging people to understand the need of accepting nature's laws such as diversity.
Sharing his thoughts, Walter D'Souza, Regional Chairman of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), said that coastal Karnataka has a history of peaceful coexistence which is evident in the observations made by foreign travelers in their records. However, people have lost respect for each other in our region today which is why there is no contemplation over spoiling of each others' environments, he said.
Fr. Valerian D'Souza, Parish Priest, Milagres Church and John B Monteiro, Convenor of the 'Souharda Sangama' programme, were present.
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