IHA Foundation along with the support of United Interfaith Foundation – India organised a seminar on the occasion of the 400th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Dharam di Chaddar at ICCR (9A Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata – 700 071) on Saturday,17th April, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 05:00 PM.
This seminar was participated by stalwart senior religious leaders and community heads of all faiths and religion from all over India representing Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Jewish and others who spoke about the contribution of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji - towards Humanity, Brotherhood, Human Rights, etc.
This Seminar was participated by delegation and varied religious and community heads like – Singh Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh Ji (Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Sri Amritsar), Giani Harpreet Singh Khalsa (Head Granthi Sri Bala Sahib Gurdwara, New Delhi), Mataji Vipanpreet Kaur Ji Ludhiana Wale (Chairperson Baba Kundan Singh Ji Bhalayi Trust Ludhiana), Swami Atmapriyanand Ji (Pro-Chancellor Ramakrishna Mission Education), Swami Shraddhanjali (Representative of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji), Brahmachari Divakar Chaitanya (Chinmay Mission), Archbishop Thomas D’Souza (Archbishop of Kolkata), Rt. Revd. Paritosh Canning, (Bishop of Calcutta (CNI), Munni Mani Kumar Maharaj (Jain Monk), Moulana Qari Fazlur Rahman (Imam-e-Eidain), Md Shafique Qasmi (Imam of Nakhoda Masjid), Dr.Arunjyoti Bhikku (Director - Tollygunge Sambodhi Buddhist Monastery), Swami Surjyagiri Maharaj(President, Gangasagar Math), Murli Punjabi (Hony Secretary Sindhi Panchayat), Acharya Vivek Muni (President International Mahavir Jain Mission), Janab Sk Aliasger Bhanpurwala (Head of Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat at Saifee Masjid-Kolkata), Goswami Sushil Ji Maharaj (Head of Monastery, Maharashi Bhrigu Foundation), S K Mudreka Jamali (Muavin Aamil of Dawoodi Bohra Jamaat), Maulana Mehndi Hasan Meeruti, Maulana of Imambara, Sister Asmita(Head of Bhrahmakumari Kolkata), A M Cohen (General Secretary Jewish Affairs), Ervard Jimmy Taraporwalla (Head Priest Parsi Fire Temple), and other representatives.
The Parliament of Religion was organized on the Birth Centenary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, for the very first time in India to spread the message and sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.During the programme various religious head and community leaders expressed their views and outlook that they perceived about the contribution of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.
“The celebration of the 400th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji as "Parliament of Religions" was an occasion to celebrate unity of humanity and to be inspired to protect and serve one another even at the cost of one's life", said Archbishop Thomas D’Souza, Archbishop of Kolkata and President of United Interfaith Foundation – India.
“On this sacred occasion when we are celebrating the 400th Birth Annivesary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, where people of all faiths have come together in the name of humanity, and how human beings can come together and how religion can be a unifying force rather than a divisie force, and that peace and harmony prevail and human beings be united in love joy and peace.”, said Swami Atmapriyanada ji, Pro-Chancellor Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational & Research Institute.
“This unique program of peace , humanity and love was unique in all ways possible, and I pray that the people of our country stay united during these extraordinary times always.”, said Md Shafique Qasmi, Imam of Nakhoda Masjid
“The work that Satnam Singh Ahluwalia and IHA Foundation are doing is praiseworthy, the contribution of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji towards humanity, mankind and brotherhood is beyond comparison, we believe that during these trying times we should all come together, as the sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was against tyranny and oppression and not against any religion”, said Singh Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh Ji, Jathedar - Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, Sri Amritsar.
“The occasion is a spiritual fortune and a national duty for us. We've been blessed to be able to organize a Parliament of Religion on the occasion of 400th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji . Though many are aware that Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was called Dharam di Chaddar, but many are still unaware of stages of his (Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur) life but it is important for the new generation of the nation too to know and understand it. From Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh - our Sikh Guru tradition is a philosophy of life in itself.”, said Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman IHA Foundation, General Secretary of Behala Gurdwara and United Interfaith Foundation – India.
