His wise words must guide us: PM

The Prime Minister said that many political ideologies have come and gone — “some with doubtful legacies and others with terrible consequences” — but Gandhian philosophy will “remain relevant as long as mankind seeks peace.” From Mahatma Gandhi, he said, we must learn to respect dissent but work towards building a consensus on issues.

“Those who dissent must also respect the value of building a consensus,” Singh said, adding that Gandhi always viewed Satyagraha as a “means to a dialogue, as an instrument of change and progress… Satyagraha was, therefore not an end in itself. It was a means to an end.”

Addressing the concluding session of the meet, the Prime Minister emphasised on the idea of pluralism saying that it was the essence of India and there should be no “conflict of civilisations”. He added that it was “commitment to an open society and open polity that shaped our national movement under Gandhiji’s leadership.”

Saying that it was “possible for us to facilitate a confluence of civilisations,” Manmohan Singh added, “these ideas have a universal, a global relevance. In a world enveloped by darkness of conflict, these ideas come as rays of sunshine.”

While referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of live and let live, the Prime Minister said every civilised society must respect human freedom, must care for the poorest of the poor and must enable the co-existence of all religions, all languages, colour and creed.