Ujjain : The week-long 13th Padma Bhushan Dr Shivmangal Singh Suman memorial lecture series began at the Bharatiya Gyanpeeth Parisar, here on Saturday evening. Noted Jain seer, Kamal Muni Kamlesh on the occasion exhorted the audience, comprising intelligentsia as well as representatives of different religions and communities, to follow the teachings of non-violence inculcated by Mahatma Gandhi.
Sadbhavana Vyakhyanmala—a yearly ideological event dedicated to the memories of Dr Suman—got-off in a graceful manner with the representatives of various religions lighting the traditional lamp before the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi and also reciting the all-religion prayer. Key speaker, Kamal Muni Kamlesh gave a new height to the inaugural ceremony by delivering a hard-hitting lecture on the topic, “Mahatma Gandhi and non-violence”.
The Jain seer counted the reasons responsible for the growing trends of violence, intolerance, discrimination, dis-similarities, disintegration, etc. “Thoughts cannot be produced by the government or on the gun point…parochialism is the mother of violence…spirit of brotherhood nourishes the tolerance…religious people should follow a code of conduct involving morality, de-addiction, environmental affection and simplicity,” he said.
Noted social worker and educationist from Latur (Maharashtra), Dr Kamal Thakar chaired the programme. Dr Girish Pandya conducted the proceedings while Krishnamangal Singh Kulshreshtha proposed a vote of thanks. On the second day of the lecture series, former prime minister Lalbahadur Shastri’s son Sunil Shastri will deliver a lecture on the topic, “Mahatma Gandhi and his Thought” on Sunday at 6 pm at the same venue.