Mr. Chairman, 

Honorable Minister for Law & Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Bangladesh. 

President Gandhi Ashram Trust,

Distingushed Panelists, honoured Guests, Friends, Ladies & Gentlemen, 

As–Salaam Aleikum, Namaskar & Good Afternoon,


I am honoured to be invited here today to share a few thoughts about a man and his ideals, a man who fundamentally changed the way we think and played a defining role in our history. That man is Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi who we fondly know as Mahatma Gandhi. His ideals of peace, nonviolence and communal harmony have given the human race a whole new way of thinking.
We in India have observed this day for decades as a day of prayer and thanksgiving. People, the world over have, year after year, thanked the Almighty on this day for bringing into this world such a noble soul as Mahatma Gandhi. We are grateful to the international community for declaring this auspicious day as the International Day of Non-Violence. 

Mahatma Gandhi’s message is universal and timeless. Mahatma Gandhi’s message of love, peace, non-violence and Satyagraha, equality of all peoples, harmony between all religions is for all societies and for all peoples. 

Gandhiji’s message is more important today than ever before since nations across the world continue to grapple with the threat of conflict, violence and terrorism. For as long as there is temptation to resort to violence in the human mind, the Mahatma’s message of non-violence will tug at our hearts. Sadly, there are forces today that want to take human kind towards conflict, war, terrorism and violence. These forces must not be allowed to succeed.

The ideas that Mahatma Gandhi are remembered for are based on universal ideals.. Many political ideologies, and movements based on them, have come and gone. Gandhiji’s philosophy has stood the test of time, and I believe will continue to do so, as long as humankind seeks peace and equality of all people. 

The universal relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s message of non-violence has been under-scored time and again by the life and teaching of great men of peace in our lifetime such as Martin Luther King Jr and Dr. Nelson Mandela. Wherever and whenever injustice is redressed and freedom won through peaceful means, Gandhiji will always be remembered. It is interesting to note that President Obama of the USA considers Gandhiji as his hero.

The key words we associate with him are tolerance, truth, transparency, non-violence, empowerment and self-respect. There is a permanence in these principles and values that transcends and unites humankind. 
Gandhiji had an abiding respect for the dignity of labour. He showed the meek and the deprived the power they could conjure up from within themselves and all it needs is the courage to silently but surely keep faith and act with courage and with purpose. 

He gave practical shape to his beliefs in a given historical and social context. Be it in England, be it in South Africa, be it in India – he applied his ideas to concrete situations. He endeavoured to make a practical difference to the lives of ordinary people. 

Gandhiji’s saintliness was a manifestation of his materialism. That is, his deep concern for the material conditions of the poor and under-privileged. It was his yearning and his determination to alter the material world he confronted that made him appear saintly to his followers. In that sense, Gandhiji was a true karma yogi. Swami Vivekananda called it Narayana Seva. The service of God, Narayana, through the service of man, Nara. This, he said, involves ‘seeing God and serving him in all human beings, the living and moving temples of God.’ The influence of the Buddha is quite evident.
Gandhiji translated this beautiful thought into what he called Daridra Narayana Seva. The service of the poorest of the poor. 

This, and the idea of communal harmony and non-violence, are the central ideas of Gandhiji that continue to have great relevance even for our present troubled times. I hope on this day the world community will re-discover the relevance of the eternal message of the Mahatma for all humanity. 

As long as there is strife and injustice, as long as there is inequality and indignity in the human condition, as long as there is pain and suffering, as long as there is violence and hatred, the ideas and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi will resonate and find followers everywhere. 

As a student of Physics, we all admire one of the greatest scientists of the 20th Century, Albert Einstein. This is what he said of Gandhiji : “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood, walked upon this earth.”

I am happy to note that the Noakhali-based Gandhi Ashram Trust in Bangladesh is continuing to uphold the ideals of The Mahatma under difficult circumstances by organizing this seminar on Peace, Non Violence and Communal harmony. I am grateful to them and also grateful for giving me an opportunity to speak about the Mahatma. If we can keep striving for promoting Gandhian values our world will be a better place to live in.

I wish the Gandhi Ashram Trust all success in their noble endeavour and appeal to all, including the Bangladesh Government to provide assistance and support to the Gandhi Ashram Trust to preserve this common and valuable heritage.

I would end with Gandhiji’s favourite Bhajan, which many of you know : 

“Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Patita Pavan Sita Ram; Ishwar Allah Tero Nam, Sabko Sanmati de Bhagwan.”

Thank you.