As part of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi the first “Gandhi Smriti Peace and Nonviolence Lecture was organized and this lecture was delivered by His Eminence Ven. Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche on December 8, 2019. Prof. (Dr) Kesava Rao Vurrakula, Vice Chancellor, National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi, presided over the function. Shri Laxmi Dass, Vice President Harijan Sevak Sangh and EC Member GSDS,Smt. Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, former VC GSDS, Dr. Y P Anand, former Director National Gandhi Museum, Shri Ram Chandra Rahi, President Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, senior Gandhians Shri Satyapal, Shri Ramesh Sharma, academicians from colleges, people from the Korean Embassy and others joined on the occasion.
Children of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan’s Mehta Vidyalaya presented an inter-faith prayer as an invocatory performance.
Ven. Prof. Rinpoche based his lecture on the philosophy of the Buddha and Gandhi and emphasised on their integral philosophies of spiritual and practical approach to non-violence. He also referred to Mahatma Gandhi’s seminal work ‘Hind Swaraj’ as the key to solve many of the mounting problems which he termed as ‘civilisational crisis.
“Gandhian concept of Non-Violence is extremely apt for us because this concept of Non-Violence is accepted and practiced by His Holiness, our leader and he says that the Gandhian interpretation of Non-Violence is correct or the real one. And therefore we must study it; we must try to understand what the concept is?”
“In an era when the globalisation of blind materialism has proven its destructive propensity, the key to real peace, harmony and prosperity lies in Gandhi’s concept of Swaraj. The study and deeper contemplation on Hind Swaraj is essential to salvage humanity. It is in Hind Swaraj that the symbiotic connections among all our private and corporate economic, political, cultural and spiritual dimensions of life are found in a profound vision and philosophy of a moral order of life,”, he said, adding, “If the present generation feel the need to keep something for posterity, the relevance of Gandhian values of morality and self-restraint as envisioned in Hind Swaraj becomes most pertinent in today’s world”.
The occasion also saw the release of the Samiti’s publications: In the Path of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi –A Convention for Global Peace by GSDS; Gandhi Evam Samajik Andolan authored by Shri Laxmi Dass; Panchayati Raj, Buniyadi Saskiye Ekai authored by Shri Laxmi Dass and Gandhi Yug Ke Hasya Vyang, edited by Shri Praveen Dutt Sharma.
Earlier Director GSDS Shri Dipanker Shri Gyan in his address said that this lecture series has been initiated as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi and the Samiti in due course proposed to bring out a publication of all the lectures.