Good morning all of you,
Ladies and gentlemen, I have had a public life over four decades. I do not figure out an event that comes even close to it. This is indeed a profoundly unique moment. The release of ‘I Am?’, a thoughtful and thought-provoking assimilation by Shri Gopichand P. Hinduja. He celebrated his 84th birthday last fortnight on January 29.
I had the good fortune to call him, to greet him, to enquire about his health and well-being, and wish him happy, healthy, and long life full of creativity.
Friends, this launch taking place in Bharat, the land of Sanatan, the cradle of one of the oldest civilisations and global spiritual centre, carries deep significance.
The title, when we scratch the surface, which we often do, and which more often than not is avoidable, the title is intriguing. Let me buttress my comment, King Charles III of the United Kingdom had accreditations for these treatises.
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, minister of faith and tolerance and will, has glorified it. These treatises, I am confident, will be a feast for the inquisitive mind. It will be North Star for spiritually inspired aspirants. And for the reader, he will get an occasion to delve deep into the timeless truth that all world religions share.
I commend G.P., as he is known to his friends, I can claim to be younger, for this visionary masterwork that synthesises civilisation's eternal truths, illuminating how all first converse in their quest for spiritual transcendence, conveniently forgotten by all on occasions that require remembrance. We work embodying the essence of Sanatana, and there is departure from the usual interfaith conversations marked by upmanship.
Distinguished audience, I am using the word upmanship only to moderate my reaction. Otherwise, interfaith discourse on occasions matches the kind of disruption and disturbance that I have the occasion to see in Temple of Democracy.
Friends, ‘I AM?’ These profound words mark the crossroads, either dissolves into collective harmony, that is wholesomeness, or hardens in ego's captivity, which is more often the case with people who enjoy power. Ignoring the fundamental facet that power lies in limitations and not in exercise.
Coercion is the poorest form of exercise of power but then there is other facet emanating from this book. Through self-reflection, ego blooms, flourishes, and through arrogance, it withers, it slides into painful irrelevance of the possessor. The true power emerges, friends, not in I am for myself.
If we take I am with you, imagine a person in distress, and someone he looks up to or she looks up to says, I am with you. Can there be a greater motivational, inspirational sucker than this? And if the person goes beyond I am for us, it symbolises spinal leadership quality. Elevating consciousness to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, where personal identity transforms into universal connection, a message Bharat imparted to the global fraternity with its G20 motto, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
This, as a matter of fact, friends, was reiteration of the civilisational ethos and essence of thousands of years in this country, which was always ground reality. The world is often described as a clash of civilisations. This book soothingly and appropriately presents a convergence of civilisations with focus on unity, where others look for division.
It espouses timeless civilisational essence of inclusivity, that is Bharat. I seek to quote from Rig Veda, आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः Let noble thoughts flow from all directions.
Since I find presence of diplomats, I think it was Bismarck said that the winds of change flow but that, with the utmost constraint at my command, was not as large-hearted as what was reflected in Rig Veda. Let noble thoughts flow from all directions. Why only change? This book offers readers an enlightened elixir of wisdom that is always much beyond knowledge.
The relevance of I am cannot be overstated. It bears huge contemporaneous relevance. We live in an era where societies are fractured by narratives, amplifying differences rather than emphasising commonalities.
This book, in sharp variance with the alarmingly worrisome confrontational global scenario and the people present here know the gravity and enormity of it more than I do. This book, in sharp variance with the alarmingly worrisome confrontational global scenario stands as a testament to tolerance, working in togetherness as indicated by Pujya Swamiji, harmony, co-existence, mutual respect, recognising shared humanity values and commonality of sublimity and spirituality that threads all faiths.
The book instils the reader to nurture a spirit of peaceful, purposeful, sustainable coexistence which no longer is an option. It is the only way if we have to survive on the planet and we all are fully cognisant of the enormity and extremity of the problem and also of the fact there is no planet available other than Mother Earth to cohabit.
Friends, at its core this book is about wonders our paths may differ and they would. There will be different points of view. There will be occasions when the other point of view may be right. My own experience is more often than not it is right. We have to subscribe in fullness to expression and dialogue.
Democracy carries no meaning, no nectar if expression is compromised, throttled or controlled and expression by itself has no dimension if there is no dialogue. If there is expression, my way, I am judgemental, I am right, you can never be right, I will never consider what you have to say, then dialogue has no meaning.
So expression and dialogue are the twins that define what democracy is. And friends, in a sense the book not only espouses this but is a pointer to the ultimate goal of Vedic wisdom. The wisdom is encapsulated in the realisation of the ultimate reality or the oneness of all creations.
Just imagine, why limit to human beings, living beings? The source of creation is one. The habitat is one and look at where we have come today. For Bharat, diverse and rising, this book holds greater relevance and promise. The state of the nation is encouraging as never before with hope and possibility all-pervasive.
Friends, no nation in recent years has seen exponential economic upsurge, phenomenal infrastructure growth, penetrating technological and digital access and adaptation at all levels, at the level of those who are never on the radar, those in the last line. The nation is no longer a nation with potential as it used to be called. Viksit Bharat is not a dream any longer. It is a definitive object and achievable.
To all intents and purposes, it shall be achieved when India celebrates the centenary of its independence in 2047, if not earlier. But friends, this wholesome scenario now faces forces seeking to exploit and perniciously amplify artificial divides of caste, class, creed, colour, culture and cuisine. It is excruciating pain at my level in my position that people with a deep understanding of the dangers that are inherent in such an approach tied to partisan interests, narrow interests, take to public platforms to espouse these pernicious tendencies.
I have no doubt, and this emanates from the book, belief in faith is voluntary. It must be a call of conscience. Faith generated by doctrine or manipulation is pathetic exploitation. The worst form of human exploitation. If it is by way of allurements, temptations, empowerment with this – I have no words, I am holding myself back – this ulterior motive. Imagine if the object is to secure supremacy, primacy over others, subject others to hegemony by demographic prowess, then the concern is extreme. This concern, friends, is a writing on the wall at the moment in most nations of the world.
The book has come not a day too soon. The book is a beacon of guidance to such misguided souls but for us, for the largest democracy, as I said, home to one-sixth of humanity, with a stunning historical record of inclusivity, sinister forces with a strategised, inimical stance even to the idea of Bharat are unfortunately securing space by way of orchestrated anti-national narratives, non-organic engineered demographic variations, influx of illegal migrants in millions and alluring conversions to refer just to some.
These are, friends, potentially existential challenges to the philosophy emanating from the book and to the philosophy Bharat has lived for over 5,000 years. In such a scenario, to ensure India's continual development journey and drawing from essense of all-firsts, it is our bounden spiritual ordainment to neutralise such viciously divisive misadventures. Bharat's spiritual and cultural heritage is not only our strength and unity's foundation, it is for world stability, harmony and peace.
We all will have to work in unison, in togetherness to make it impregnable. Friends, this book underscores universal relevance of Bharatiyata, virtuosity that is discernible in all faiths. The book reminds preachers and practitioners both we can respect and appreciate others' truth without alluring conversions.
Unity means non-uniformity. Bharati is a perfect example, it exemplifies unity and diversity in all facets of human behaviour. Tolerance means not triumph over others. Disruption must yield to dialogue, disturbance to deliberation. Conflict to consciousness. We find in the world hard, rigid steps being taken. It has been said by our sages, irretrievable confrontational stance is antithetical to the essence of all faiths and smacks of misplaced self-righteousness and judgemental approach.
It is crossing all fault lines, getting into the red area. These principles we must adopt. Tolerance, coexistence, dialogue, consensus, because these will free society from the afflictions I have indicated.
Friends, this philosophy the author is cognisant of the fact is also evidenced in Hinduja Group's vision fostering inclusivity, sustainability and cultural understanding beyond being a multi-sector powerhouse. Hinduja Group's contributions transcend conventional CSR. Building a gurdwara and a crematorium in Iran showing extraordinary commitment to preserving identity.
Recently I was at the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of Nandlal Newall Centre of Indology at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in New Delhi and there I pleasantly gathered that the Hinduja Group established the first overseas branch of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan in New York.
The group bridges the east-west divide through the Dharam Hinduja Indic Research Centre at Columbia University reclaiming our civilisation narrative globally.
I commend Shri Gopichand P Hinduja for this remarkable anthology and Shri Ashok Hinduja for enabling its release. I pray one and all may the message that is in the book resonate with the spiritual seekers thought leaders, active citizens and one and all.
Jai Hind.
