Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's address at the Conference on Human Values, Spirituality, Integration and Peace

"I am happy to associate myself with this conference which seeks to deal with the eternal value system which have sustained our civilizations and culture for thousands and thousands of years. I compliment Shri Manohar Rao for taking this initiative. We live in an era of limitless possibilities. Science and Technology have made it possible, as never before in human history that chronic poverty does not have to be inevitable lot of majority of humankind. Both nuclear sciences and biotechnology offer limitless opportunities but whether these new technologies will be used for human emancipation or for personal aggrandizement - that very much depends upon the value system that the country seeks guidance from. We live in an era of limitless possibilities but also an era of unbridled acquisitiveness. The information revolution and the communications explosion have truly made our planet a global village. Yet, this village is not yet a community of good neighbours. In these hurried times, it is, therefore, necessary and helpful to sometimes step aside and reflect on the wider purpose of life and human endeavour itself and in that context I welcome the theme of this conference. I do hope this conference gives each one of you that opportunity to so reflect.

Recently, I have been going through Rajmohan Gandhi's perceptive biography of Mahatma Gandhi. What always strikes one about Gandhiji was his ability to be both practical and idealistic at the same time. I have believed for a long time that Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most modern minds of our times. He offered us a liberal framework to view the complexities of our social and political existence and take humanity forward.

Of all the great men of the 19th and 20th Century, with whose name we associate an "ism", Gandhiji is among the few who continue to remain relevant for all humanity in this troubled 21st Century. The essence of "Gandhianism" was not renunciation. It was not the "other-worldliness" we associate with our ancient sages and saints. Mahatma Gandhi belonged to this world and worked to change it for a better tomorrow for all our people. He was intensely a practical man. But his practice was based on deep-rooted principles and values and a deep commitment to humanism. A conference on human values, integration and peace must therefore explore the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi for our times.

Gandhiji's greatest legacy for mankind was his commitment to the resolution of conflict through dialogue. Ironically, Mahatma Gandhi became world famous for his fasts and his vows of silence. However, he never used these as weapons of coercion, nor did he deploy them to end dialogue. Even when he chose not to speak, he was ready to listen. Even when he was frail from fasting, he was ready to wield the pen to communicate.

I, therefore, sincerely believe that the cause of peace and integration is best served by dialogue. Power in a civilized world does not and need not flow from the barrel of a gun, it must flow from our ability to talk and to hear and to understand other person's point of view. Such are the human values our ancient culture and civilization have taught us to uphold.

I am very happy that you are using this occasion to honour some of our most distinguished citizens. Each one of them - Dr. Karan Singhji, Dr. G.V.G. Krishna Murthy, Kumari Nirmala Despande - has contributed to this process of dialogue within our society and between our country and the world. I commend each one of them for their deep and abiding commitment to values enshrined in our ancient scriptures.

I am also happy that this conference is intended to pay tribute to the memory of a great son of India, our former Prime Minister, Shri Narasimha Raoji. I will always cherish the unique opportunity I had to work with him. He was a friend, philosopher and guide in many ways. As I saw him from close quarters, he was truly a Sanyasi in politics. He was a modernizer who was steeped in our tradition and ethos. He was a rare scholar, statesman who gave a new sense of direction not only to our economic but also foreign policies. His command over several languages was not just a linguistic capability. It made him truly a pan-Indian personality equally at ease in Karimnagar, Pune, Benaras, and Delhi!

I do believe that this inherent pluralism of our psyche is what reinforces our unity despite our diversity. It is on the foundations of such pluralism and liberalism, that we can build a more peaceful and harmonized world. I hope your conference can explore these ideas and help us deal with the challenges of our contentious times. With these words, I once again thank Shri Manoharji for giving me this opportunity."