Leaders of different religions have formed a religious front ‘Dharmik Jan Morcha’ in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh to promote mutual love, brotherhood and amity among people of all faiths. The announcement to this effect was made at a press conference at the end of a symposium.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Prof. Salim Engineer is the national convener of the Dharmik Jan Morcha. The Morcha has been formed in eight states of the country so far.
Speaking on the occasion, the JIH Vice President observed that India is a unique country in the world with diversity where people are living together despite having different beliefs and faiths. He said, “For thousands of years, India has preserved this important heritage. Our religious leaders and institutions have played a vital role in preserving this legacy. They have always taught their followers how to live with mutual love and sharing one another’s sorrows and joys. Unfortunately, now some people are working to damage this long-time legacy for their political interests. They want to spoil the peaceful atmosphere in the country by spreading hatred between different groups of the society. This peace loving society is under threat from some elements, which are pushing the society towards moral degradation. Therefore, it is, once again, the responsibility of these social leaders to come forward and play their role in establishing peace and harmony in the country.”
The representative of Bhikshu Samaj, Bhikshu Gyan Lok said the society needs such people who work to unite it and in such a situation, when people hate each other, it becomes our responsibility to teach them the lesson of love.
Representing the Christian community, Father RB Roy of the Methodist Church, pointed out that there were other issues in the society that should be talked about. He reminded that the country would go backwards rather than moving ahead, with the things which evoked communal hatred, ignoring real issues like rising unemployment, inflation and development.
Representative of the Jain community, Abhishek Jain said religious leaders should teach mutual love and brotherhood among their followers as only mutual love can save this country from the fire of hatred.
Shia scholar Maulana Saif Abbas Naqvi said Islam and other religions teach that all human beings are brothers. He said, “If the believers of all faiths, following the teachings of their respective religions, nurture mutual love and affection for one another, communal riots will automatically come to an end.”
The Dharmik Jan Morcha aims at initiating talks and dialogues between people of different religions to promote mutual love, brotherhood and amity in the country, work together to eradicate the common evils of the society, dispel misconceptions spread among the followers of various faiths, create a free environment for the people to follow their religions, stand together for the weak and downtrodden sections of the society and make citizens aware of their cultural and religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution of India.