SAYPM meet: Religion not responsible for terrorism
When talking about peace and that too in the South Asian part of the world, violence always gets a mention. Perhaps the strongest connecting link between all the countries here is that of colonisation and subsequent civil wars.
PEACE, THEY agreed was an intrinsic feeling. Something one felt when they were calm within. Peace should be a manifestation of our behaviour, the calm within and the solidarity outside.
The South Asian Youth Peace Meet was a three-day event organised by the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication which metamorphosed into a platform of peace talks, secularism, youth channelisation and energy sustainability. With speakers like Asgar Ali Engineer, Kiran Bedi, and Imran Khan, the event engaged students from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan.
When talking about peace and that too in the South Asian part of the world, violence always gets a mention. Perhaps the strongest connecting link between all the countries here is that of colonisation and subsequent civil wars. So, the first day of the peace meet began with discussions on the communal circumstances of India in the past and how it had an impact on the future.
With eminent panellists like Suresh Kopade, Special Inspector General of Mumbai , Dr Asghar Ali Engineer and Romesh Bhandari, the day sought to reveal a plethora of discussions that not only gave the audience a lot of food for thought but also emphasised on the need for everyone to contribute towards peace. Dr. Asgar Ali Engineer began his discourse by explaining what Id means to him and correlating it with how personal interests divide people and garners communal feelings. He said, “ No religion is responsible for terrorism. No religion talks about violence.”
Jyoti Punwani, a journalist by profession strongly recommended fellow journalists to refrain from reporting sensationally over religious and communal matters She concluded by asking the audience, “Are we strengthening stereotypes or breaking them?” The panel concluded with a pressing thought, “It is not just important to fight terrorist, but to fight terrorism.”
The second day spoke about youth affairs and politics. This was the most gripping of all sessions with talks from famous personalities like Kiran Bedi and Imran Khan. Bedi first asked the audience what was ‘not peace’. She elaborately explained how the concept of war had become more evolved. Peace was more than the mere absence of weapons. Peace is a choice between non-violence and non-existence. She also urged the audience to be more aware of the law and volunteer for peace.
While Imran Khan pointed out how cinema is an important tool for bringing out change, he also answered questions pertaining to violence in cinema and the responsibilities of a film maker. SIMC alumni Vijay Pamarathi and Maneck Kotwal gave their insights on how they see south Asian youth as a force to reckon in the years to come.
The third day’s theme was- “Environmental sustainability and Energy efficiency” which had panel members like Dr Rashneh Pardiwala, an ecologist and the founder and director of the CERE (Centre for Environmental Research and Education), Indra Nath Mukherji, former Dean of the School of International Studies at JNU and Sanjay Upadhyay, an advocate with the Supreme Court of India and the founder of India’s first environmental law firm.
Dr Rashen Pardiwala spoke about climate change and environment sustainability. She emphasised that no one country could singularly address and redress the issue of climate change. It is a collective responsibility of all the countries. The discussions largely comprised of environment laws, carbon trading mechanisms, mitigation and adaptation, direct damage prevention and environment civil liability.
The meet concluded with a concert by Rahul Sharma who performed a confluence of music – a guitar, drums and tabla along with a santoor, reflecting the theme of he event as music sees no barrier among religion, culture, or sex.
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