Mangaluru: “While Britain or Europe gave us parliamentary democracy and the USA, the economic democracy, India’s contribution to the whole world has been a spiritual democracy”, said Editor of national weekly ‘Organiser’, Prof Prafulla Ketkar here on Saturday, November 3.
He was delivering the keynote address during the inaugural of the two-day ‘Mangaluru Lit Fest-2018’ organised by the ‘Mangaluru Literary Foundation’ at Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre. He said, “Everyone in India has a right to choose his own God or worship the entity in their own way. Meanwhile, one can discard all gods and still live as a Hindu. The people in India accept the religion of others and respect it wholeheartedly,” he said.
“When people from other nations come to India, the natives accommodate them, donate their land and allow them to follow their religious beliefs. The first mosque of India is not Jama Masjid, but it is the mosque at Calicut, which was built with the contribution of common Indians. That mosque can be really declared as the national mosque of India, Because, accommodation and worship are never a problem in India, for people who count their gods in crores, accommodating one or two more is never a problem. But the problem arises, only when a group claims that only ‘their’ god or thinking is always supreme or ultimate,” he added.
Senior journalist Sandhya Pai, after inaugurating the fest, opined that India should not be limited to one culture or one tradition. “The people of India live with harmony. The essence of India should be taught to the future generation of this country. The knowledge of ancient India, its importance, the contribution of our country to the entire world should be taught in schools and colleges so that our future generation is aware,” she said.
The fest was organised to showcase ‘The Idea of Bharat’-ancient wisdom of peace, brotherhood and universal well being through intellectual discourse by the finest literary minds from across the globe. During the two-day fest, there will be different sessions on different topics, wherein resource persons will address the gathering.
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