Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Inaugural address by PM at International Conference on ~Dialogue Among Civilisations~

~I deem it a great privilege to be invited to inaugurate the two-day New Delhi Conference on Dialogue Among Civilizations. At the outset I must congratulate our Human Resource Development Minister for taking this very timely and much needed initiative. I must also congratulate Director-General, UNESCO, who has provided full support during all the stages of planning and organising this Dialogue. I extend a warm welcome to all our friends from abroad who have come to participate in this Conference.

In recent years the concept of Dialogue Among Civilizations has caught the imagination of the political, intellectual and cultural elite around the world. The concept itself is not entirely a novel one. After all, the best minds in world history have always championed the idea of dialogue and cooperation among peoples from different cultural and civilizational backgrounds. The rishis and saints of India, in ancient as well as modern times, dreamt of a world where all faiths, cultural influences, languages, and intellectual streams are given an honoured place and integrated to form a symphony of universalism. For example, the Vedas taught us to accept and assimilate all that is positive and life-promoting from around the world.

Aa no bhadrah ritavo yantu vishwatah

May noble thoughts come to us from all sides. According to me, two factors have worked to provide a new context to the concept of Dialogue Among Civilizations. Some years ago, a famous writer put forward a thesis about the coming ~Clash of Civilizations~. The thesis was, of course, flawed and baseless. Its main fault was that it failed to recognize that civilizations do not – rather, cannot – clash. To be civilized is to abjure clashes and conflicts, and to try to resolve all disputes and contentious issues through dialogue. Civilizations are anchored in a common set of values and ideals, which we all share in our common yearning for human solidarity and in our common aspiration for peace, justice, truth and fellowship. Thus, all civilizations have a civilizing influence on human beings. That is a part of the very definition of a civilization.

Here we should not confuse between civilization and history. Human history is a tale of clashes and conflicts, as well as of peace and progress. This is true about all countries and all continents. In contrast, when we talk of civilizations, we are essentially talking of the self-humanizing endeavour of different societies, carried on from generation to generation, through the means of spiritual systems, cultures, art, philosophy, science, agriculture, industry and the daily social activity of ordinary people.

Nevertheless, we should thank the worthy writer who predicted the coming ~Clash of Civilizations~. The provocative title of his book served to catalyse a worldwide debate that vehemently argued to the contrary. The future of mankind is not going to be determined by a Conflict Among Civilizations; rather, as some people have beautifully put it, humanity’s future will witness a Concert or a Confluence of Civilizations.

Of course, this will not happen automatically. All of us, and all our coming generations, will have to strive and struggle for it. I believe that the New Delhi Dialogue Among Civilizations, and similar Dialogues that have preceded it, are a part of this earnest striving to build a Better World.

Friends, there is yet another factor that has propelled us into this Dialogue. As we crossed into a new century and a new millennium three years ago, all of us realized that the world we now live in, and the world that the coming generations will inherit, are fundamentally different from the times past. Trade and technology have broken old barriers between countries and cultures. The world has become a Global Village. Some would like to call it a Global Marketplace. More and more countries are witnessing an unprecedented activity on the economic front.

Yet, the present situation presents two paradoxes. One is the continuing wide gap between the unmet basic needs of the world’s poor and the more-than-adequately-met wants of the world’s rich. The other is the equally troubling imbalance between the current excessive focus on Man as the Consumer of material goods and services, and the colossal neglect of the Integral Man who wishes to become a Complete Human Being.

With all the material progress that we have achieved, we acutely realize that there is something precious -- the human element -- lacking in this progress. We feel that, with all the technological advancement, we are still less than what we can be, less than what human beings have been created for. We are dreaming of the ideal society, a cooperative collective in which all production is geared for meeting all his human needs – of the body, mind and soul. A society in which man can experience peace within himself and witness peace in the world, both of which are today eluding him.

Therefore, troubled by the destruction of the environment and the erosion of traditions, and numbed by the daily news of violence around the world, the Modern Man is searching for answers. After the horrible wars of the last century, the continuing ethnic clashes in some parts of the world, and the emergence in recent times of terrorism that misuses the name of religion, he is not swayed by claims like -- ~My country right or wrong~, ~My people the greatest in history, ~ and ~My faith the only faith~.

And his search for answers is taking him to study the essence of his own faith, culture and civilization, and the faiths, cultures and civilizations of his fellow human beings in a world that he sees is becoming increasingly inter-dependent. It is this intensified search for solutions and solace that is behind this new phenomenon called the Dialogue Among Civilizations.

This is a very hopeful sign. The Dialogue Among Civilizations is a broad enough theme to embrace all the major issues and challenges before mankind today. We need answers on how to create a future without wars and violence; how to achieve sustainable development, so that industrialization does not become a curse to the environment; how to impart a much-needed cultural dimension to development; how to preserve the unique cultural identity and artistic wealth of nations, especially of small communities, who are genuinely concerned about the onrush of uniformity in the name of globalisation; and how to advance the cause of human rights, economic justice, gender justice, and a compassionate and caring social order. It has become equally important to know how our system of education and the mass media can promote positive values in society, especially among children.

I believe that we can get the answers to these questions by broadening, deepening and sustaining the Dialogue process. The deeper and broader the dialogue, the greater is the understanding among civilizations and nations. The greater the understanding, the stronger is the cooperation and goodwill among nations. And the stronger is the cooperation and goodwill among nations, the lesser is the need to spend huge resources on arms and military strategies.

Here I must emphasise that we also need ~The Culture of Dialogue~ at a national level, so that contentious issues can be resolved amicably through talks. Dialogue is an essential part of democracy. Democracy both requires and mandates dialogue. The more a nation can harmonise differences at home, the greater will be its ability to contribute to a dialogue at the international level.

Distinguished guests and delegates, India’s longstanding experience and ancient tradition of fostering dialogue among communities, cultures and civilizations is well recognised. For centuries, India has nurtured a multiplicity of spiritual and cultural traditions. Yet, within this diversity, India has also woven a silken bond of unity. This is principally because India has protected people’s freedom of thought and faith, while at the same time encouraging an unbroken tradition of inter-faith dialogue and cooperation.

The meeting points of ancient Trade Routes may lie in other parts of the world, but India has always been a meeting point of Faith Routes. Besides all the faiths that originated here, India welcomed the Jews, Syrian Christians, the Catholics, Zoroastrians, Muslims and people belonging to other religions. We are proud of India’s age-old adherence to the ideal of Sarva Pantha Samabvhava – which means, respect for all faiths. I suggest that this principle of secularism, which is enshrined in India’s Constitution, should be accepted by all countries. Tolerance should become a global ideal. This would go a long way in promoting understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples belonging to different faiths and cultures.

It is a fitting tribute to India’s longstanding tradition of tolerance that the Zoroastrians, a prominent minority community, are holding an exhibition to herald the celebrations of the 3000^th Year of Zoroastrianism, to coincide with this Conference. They comprise less than 0.01% of our country’s population. Yet, they have made a major contribution to many walks of our national life. The world needs to recognize the greatness of the Zoroastrian faith and culture, and help in its protection and resurgence. The Government of India has lent full support in organising this exhibition, which will be taken to the other parts of the country.

We are very happy that Ministers from around 50 countries and high level official delegations, as well as a galaxy of eminent scholars, scientists and experts have gathered here to take part in the deliberations of this Conference. The New Delhi Declaration, which is to be adopted at the concluding session of the Conference tomorrow, will be an important addition to the ongoing dialogue process.

The learnings from the series of Dialogues Among Civilizations, which have been held so far under the aegis of the UN and other institutions, should be fed into the foreign and domestic policies of member countries. National parliaments and governments should be advised on how to incorporate these learnings in their legislations and policy-making. Hence, I look forward to receiving your valuable ideas, suggestions and recommendations that will act as a roadmap for future efforts at the international and national levels on issues that will figure in your deliberations.

As inheritors of a proud and priceless civilizational legacy ourselves, we in India are prepared to lend our full support to this noble undertaking of Dialogue Among Civilizations. We are prepared to discharge our responsibility in demonstrating its beneficial impact among and within countries, cultures and religions. We are prepared to continue to play our part in promoting tolerance and respect for diversities, within the wider goal of the unity of humankind, as an essential component of sustainable human advancement in the new century.

With these words, I have great pleasure in inaugurating this Conference and wishing it all success.~