October 22, 2017
News
Event to mark Diwali illuminates unity
* Participants call for combating menace of misunderstanding among different communities to create peaceful society
LAHORE: Diwali, the festival of lights, continues to attract people from different faiths to gather and share knowledge and inculcate in them a feeling to respect everyone in the society.
Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains for a variety of reasons, the main theme of the festival is to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, said speakers of a gathering, arranged by the ‘Hum Sub Aik Hain’ – a Lahore-based organisation formed by a group of young people to promote peace and harmony.
Besides members of the Hindu community, people belonging to different faiths, including Muslims and Christians, also participated in the event.
Addressing the gathering, Hum Sub Aik Hain coordinator Raza Khan and convener Atiqa Shahid said that there was a need to support peaceful coexistence in Pakistan. “Supporting the cause of peace is a responsibility of not only the government but everyone else,” they said.
Sharing his thoughts, university student Anil Kumar said that the Diwali was also known as Deepavali – a Sanskrit word meaning rows of lighted lamps. “This (Diwali) is one of the most popular Hindu festivals. We celebrate the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance,” he explained.
On the occasion, university students Govinda Lohana and Sunny Singh also shared their thoughts and said that they were happy to attend an interfaith event on the occasion of their festival. “For us, it is important to combat the menace of misunderstanding among different communities so that we can create a peaceful society,” they said.
As a public platform, the organisation provides intercultural space open to all communities, whether within Pakistan or across the border.
Stressing on the need for promotion of a society based on the values of acceptance and harmony, the organisation has taken up various public campaigns aimed at opening doors for creating new friendships among various religious minorities living in Pakistan.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk