No religion sanctions violence, says India’s PM
NEW DELHI: Stating that a watchful eye had to be kept to maintain communal harmony, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said that those who used religious symbols and forums to talk of violence, sectarianism and discord could not be called true to their religion.
“Both the government and civil society groups must continuously watch and raise our voice against groups and individuals who use violence in the name of religion. No religion sanctions violence. Those who use religious symbols and forums to talk of violence, sectarianism and discord cannot be said to be true spokesperson of their respective religion,” Singh said.
The PM was speaking on the occasion of the presentation of Kabir Puraskar and National Communal Harmony awards conferred by President Pratibha Patil. Among the recipients of the Kabir Puraskar were Khalifa Gufran, Abdul Gani Abdullah Qureishi and Ghulam Ahmed Bhat, who put their lives at risk to protect members of other communities.
Social activists Ram Puniyani and Dominic Emmanuel, NGOs Setu Charitable Trust and Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan were honoured with Communal Harmony awards for their contribution towards national integration.
In her address, President Pratibha Patil stressed the need to protect the weaker sections of society and said, “We need to understand that those who pursue a divisive agenda see every element of our diversity as an issue for polarising us for their selfish interests. In such situations, as Indians, we must collectively stand up as one.”
Vice-president Hamid Ansari termed as a “disturbing aspect” that even six decades after Independence there was still a compelling need for the state to foster communal harmony and national integration.
Instituted in 1996 by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony, the award carries Rs 5 lakh in cash for an organisation and Rs 2 lakh for an individual, besides a citation.
Home minister P Chidambaram lauded the role each of the awardees had played in reaching out to other human beings and promoting tolerance, communal harmony, brotherhood and peaceful coexistence.
