September 1, 2013
Alarmed
at the recent happenings in Palestine, Azerbaijan, Kenya , Iraq,
Afghanistan, Rwanda and other parts of the world, the
Non Aligned Students and Youth Movement (NASYM) organized a seminar on "Genocide:
The threat to Civilisation" at the Constitution Club, New Delhi on March
16. The seminar was attended by Ambassadors/ High Commissioner and
diplomats from well over 20 countries.
In an inspiring address, Union Minister for Woman and Child
Development Renuka Chaudhury said as the world is shrinking into a
global village the boundaries of religion, region or race was also
narrowing down. "At a time when the world is engaging to augment
civilisation such acts like genocide was taken it backwards." she
pointed out.
"We have to work for a terror free world, a world of peace
and stability and we cannot remain prisoner to the pages of our
history", the minister said and added that genocide was condemnable in
the highest term of human vocabulary. Terror has no religion, region or
face and to blame any religion for it was taking the matter to the other
end, she said.
Mrs. Renuka Chaudhury in her inimitable style said
civilisation has to be preserved at all costs; we are here because of
the norms of civility. Forces which are bent upon to take revenge of the
past, exploiting themes of religion or race would want the world to be
dragged in an internecine warfare and we have to disengage them, she
emphasized.
"How do we do it" She queried and said debates and dialogue
was the only course left for the humanity. She said she was sure that
debates would put an end to the climate of hate and would bring people
closer.
Former Home Secretary Mr. K. Padmanabhaiah dwelt on the
issue and said the issue was of utmost concern especially at a time when
the world is emerging as a global village. The secretary said it was
imperative to go into the root cause that leads to these dastardly
actions, sparking feeling of hate and revenge.
Mr. Padmanabhaiah said we have to look for triggers that
spark such feeling of hate and revenge, of ethnic and religious strife.
Once we know what sparks them we can locate and address these core
issues. He said genocide does not fit into the world of civilisation and
hence has to be tackled in a more decisive manner.
The Charge d Affaires of Azerbaijan, Dr. Azad Nagiyev gave a
graphic description how his country was facing the threat from the
Armenians which tantamount to genocide.
Mr.
Subhash Chaudhury. Chairman NASYM said history cannot be
held captive and action of past cannot ne justified as reasons for
genocide and terrorism in the present context. "We cannot live in an
atmosphere of hate, ideology of hate has to be fought at all level."
He said NASYM was very concerned with the development
especially at the involvement of youth and students in the act of terror
as recent incidents have proven. It is a matter of great concern that
young minds which shape the destiny of nation could be exploited and
drawn into the world of terrorism. Young and enterprising youth who have
a wonderful career and a life of comfort are taking to arms and
ammunition. Somewhere the line, the voice of sanity has failed and
mischievous people using tragic incidents of the past have come forward
to exploit and pollute their mind.
The trend has to be checked Mr.
Subhash Chaudhury said NASYM
wants the student and youth to shape the destiny of the nation and to
save them from the clutches of these exploitative thinking which only
leads to destruction.
