Vice Chancellor, Professor S M A Faiz,
Professor Anisuzzaman,
Professor Haroon-ur-Rashid,
Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam, Distinguished Teachers, students & friends,

Assalam-u-Alaikum, Namaskar & good morning.

I am pleased to be present here at the prestigious Dhaka University for the 2nd Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture. I am also delighted to see you, Dr. Haroon-ur-Rashid. It is good to have you back amongst us. You mentioned about truth triumphing. Indeed, on our national emblem is the motto “Satyameva Jayate” i.e. Truth alone triumphs. On this day, the Mahatma was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic. We remember Mahatma Gandhi on this day and call it Martyrs Day. We observe two minutes’ silence all over India.

This notable initiative taken by Professor Dalem Chandra Barman is timely, as it is not only India but also the rest of the world which is increasingly looking towards the core tenets of Gandhian philosophy and thought, in tackling the momentous challenges the world faces today, be it terrorism, poverty, inequality and climate change. In his distinctive and timeless manner, Gandhiji had offered a solution to many of these problems.

The principles of Ahimsa, non-violence and non-cooperation had enabled India to attain freedom from colonial rule with dignity, while simultaneously retaining a unique friendly relationship with Britain, the former colonial power. The non-violence movement led by Gandhiji eventually proved to be the main catalyst in ending centuries of colonialism and bringing freedom and democracy to millions of people in Asia, Africa and Middle East. The message of peace, of fighting communalism, casteism and parochialism, complemented with the emphasis on building a secular, compassionate, egalitarian and equal society, had a profound influence on India’s Constitution and the political ethos of our leadership. I genuinely feel that much of the credit for India’s evolution as the world’s largest democracy with fiercely independent institutions like the free press, judiciary and separation of Executive from Legislature goes to Mahatma Gandhi, for his tolerance and judicious selection of leaders.

Gandhiji’s emphasis on eradicating social evils like untouchability and endemic poverty has resulted in a very strong and committed policy in India for uplifting the weaker and vulnerable sections of our society. While we need to do much more in this field, we can safely say that we have created more-or-less a level playing field where the poorest can aspire to hold the highest positions in the country. The humble background and hardships undergone to complete their basic education by many of our leaders like former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, former President K R Narayanan and even present PM Dr. Manmohan Singh are well known.

Gandhiji’s doctrine of simple living and high thinking, of village self-sufficiency and self-reliance are environmentally friendly and offer the most effective way of fighting the devastating effects of climate change. Finally, Gandhiji’s conviction that diverse religious communities, societies and nations must live together in harmony and his monumental sacrifices in combating communal hatred, offer an effective methodology of fighting the scourge of fundamentalism and terrorism.

Gandhiji’s continued relevance has been recognised by the United Nations, which has declared his birthday, October 2, as the International Day of Non-violence, with a number of ceremonies being observed all over the world.

I thank the organisers for inviting me and thank you all for being present here today.