His wise words must guide us: PM

Addressing the international conference on Gandhian philosophy, organised by the Congress to commemorate the centenary of Satyagraha

Addressing the international conference on Gandhian philosophy, organised by the Congress to commemorate the centenary of Satyagraha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that Gandhian principles of sustainable development and interactions between cultures and peoples are of 8220;relevance to our world today.8221;

Mahatma Gandhi8217;s 8220;wise words must guide us all in the era of globalisation,8221; Singh said, adding, 8220;I do sincerely believe that the world cannot sustain the lifestyles of the affluent. We need a development paradigm that caters to everyone8217;s need and can keep in check human greed.8221;

The Prime Minister said that many political ideologies have come and gone 8212; 8220;some with doubtful legacies and others with terrible consequences8221; 8212; but Gandhian philosophy will 8220;remain relevant as long as mankind seeks peace.8221; From Mahatma Gandhi, he said, we must learn to respect dissent but work towards building a consensus on issues.

8220;Those who dissent must also respect the value of building a consensus,8221; Singh said, adding that Gandhi always viewed Satyagraha as a 8220;means to a dialogue, as an instrument of change and progress8230; Satyagraha was, therefore not an end in itself. It was a means to an end.8221;

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 8220;conflict of civilisations8221;. He added that it was 8220;commitment to an open society and open polity that shaped our national movement under Gandhiji8217;s leadership.8221;

Saying that it was 8220;possible for us to facilitate a confluence of civilisations,8221; Manmohan Singh added, 8220;these ideas have a universal, a global relevance. In a world enveloped by darkness of conflict, these ideas come as rays of sunshine.8221;

While referring to Mahatma Gandhi8217;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.