November 15, 2001

    The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee delivered the keynote address at the World Congress for Preserving Religious Diversity here today. Among those present on the occasion were His Holiness Dalai Lama, founder of All India Movement for Seva, Swami Dayanand Saraswati and former President of India Shri R. Venkataraman.

    Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s address at the World Congress for Preserving Religious Diversity:

    "I am happy to participate in this World Congress for Preserving Religious Diversity and bringing about cooperation and harmony amongst all faiths in the world. I offer my warm welcome and greetings to the large number of religious representatives from far and near who are attending this meet.

    At the outset, I must heartily congratulate Swami Dayananda Saraswatiji and our former President, Shri Venkatramanji, for this laudable initiative. As all of us know, recent global and regional developments have imparted added urgency and relevance to this effort.

    At the very core of these familiar developments is religious intolerance of the most extreme and violent kind. Be it the destruction of the historic Buddha statues at Bamiyan in Afghanistan, or the terrorist attacks on the United States of America on September 11, or the cross-border terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir for the past decade and more – a single common causative thread runs through them all.

    And that is the irreligious mindset that rejects and abhors religious diversity. It does not believe in the principle of co-existence of diverse faiths and traditions, which constitute our common humanity. Representatives of this mindset do not show any respect for human life. They believe that their bigoted ends can justify the most diabolical means of terror – of killing innocent people in scores, in hundreds, even in thousands.

    These terrorists take the name of God and religion, they call their campaign a "Holy War". But they do so only to excite sentiments and emotions and in a bid to mobilise wider support for their cause. In actual fact, they represent no religion. How can they, when the very essence of every religion is respect for human life, which is the highest creation of God? When every faith, at its core, preaches tolerance towards other faiths?

    Rejection of diversity – be it religious diversity, cultural diversity or intellectual diversity – not only violates natural laws but it also goes against human nature. Uniformity is not acceptable either in God’s non-living creation or in His living creation. So how can it be acceptable to human beings, who are blessed by God with the power of inquiry and search, of doubt and independent investigation of reform and re-synthesis?

    There is unity in nature, but not uniformity. Nevertheless, even the realisation and acceptance of unity requires acceptance of diversity. History has shown that those who try to cast the various faiths and cultures and traditions around the world in the same uniform mould of their choice never succeeded in their endeavour. When they use violence to achieve their ends, their failure becomes even more certain.

    Distinguished delegates, yesterday we in India celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights. It celebrates the journey from darkness to light, of the victory of good over evil. All of us can rejoice in the current defeat of the Taliban in city after city in Afghanistan – a defeat which shows that the Afghan people’s long-awaited journey from darkness to light has begun. May all of us send our best wishes and generous assistance to our brethren in Afghanistan for taking this victorious journey forward to early reconstruction and lasting peace.

    Now that the world community has known the true face of terrorism, and now that international cooperation against terror have been proved to yield desired results, such cooperation should be continued and further strengthened around the world.

    Governmental and political leaders no doubt have their tasks cut out in this important mission. However, I believe that the world also needs a parallel and continuing international cooperation among leaders of various faiths and communities against extremism and terrorism. These two efforts will supplement and complement each other.

    Recognising this, the Secretary General of the United Nations took the commendable initiative last year of organising the first ever summit of religious leaders, coinciding with the Millennium Summit of the UN. I am happy that today’s Congress in New Delhi represents a much-needed follow-up step in that direction.

    If we examine all the tenets of all religions, we find that all of them without exception preach good conduct, virtue, selflessness, charity, kindness, compassion etc. They differ on theological principles, such as the nature of Good. But all of them agree that humanity must follow a conduct, which is conducive to the existence of a harmonious society.

    The Rig-Veda, which is the oldest scripture in the world, says:

Even as the drops of rain

Reaches the ocean

Prayers to all deities

Reach the Supreme Being.

Similarly, the Holy Quran also preaches tolerance of other faiths in clear terms:

"For you your religion; And for me my religion".

    Therefore, as Mahatma Gandhi used to repeatedly emphasise, the most salutary rule for all people is to practice honestly, diligently and sincerely the tenets of their own religion. The principle of tolerance must be matched by non-intervention in other’s religions and religious practices.

    We in India are proud that our nation represents religious diversity of such antiquity and innate conviction as is unparalleled anywhere in the world. We have all the religions of the world within our borders, and we accord equal respect to all of them.

    This secular principle of Sarva Pantha Samabhaav is not something that India borrowed from others after Independence. Rather, secularism has been a part of India’s ethos for as long as India has existed. I must point out here that this principle of equal respect for all faiths works smoothly when it is accepted and practised by all. If some people do not do so, and try to strike their own separate path in order to show that they are different, it creates a reaction among others which does no good to social harmony.

    From time immemorial India has practiced tolerance towards all religions. Addressing the Parliament of Religions at Chicago, more than a 100 years ago, Swami Vivekananda said: "I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and nations of the earth".

    All of us in India share this pride.

    Christianity came to India in the first Century A.D. but not with the East India Company. Islam came to India in the seventh Century A.D., but not with Mohammed of Gazni. The renowned Islamic saint Khwajah Moinuddin Chishti, born abroad, education in Samarkand and Baghdad, which were then great seats of learning, ultimately came to India and settled in Delhi and Ajmer. His makbara or grave is even today visited by hundred of thousands of Hindus and Muslims. Similarly, many Muslim poets have sung songs in praise of Rama and Krishna.

    These are not exceptions. In spite of many irreligious acts in the past, and in spite of the Partition of India on the specious Two-Nation Theory, all of India is even today dotted with similar symbols and traditions of inter-religious tolerance. We shall preserve and further strengthen this ethos, which I believe is also greatly needed by our inter-dependent world today.

    With these words, I once again extend my best wishes to the Congress and hope that your deliberations will help the world move in the direction of the preservation of religious diversity and promotion of peace and harmonious co-existence of all religious communities in the world.

Thank you".