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"Peace Talks" - India Celebrates Global Day of Parents with Virtual Conference
Written by UPF-India
Monday, June 1, 2020
New Delhi, India—UPF-India celebrated the UN Global Day of Parents 2020 by organizing a “Peace Talks” webinar on the theme, “Parental Love is the Key to Combating COVID-19,” on June 1. About 100 participants joined the virtual conference by Zoom while several hundred others watched it via Facebook Live.
The webinar began with remarks and an invocation given by Hindu priest Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami. He said the COVID-19 pandemic has developed awareness among people that the world is one family and expressed his belief that anyone can overcome their fears and the challenges they face. He recited the Hindu prayer: “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah, Sarve Santu, Niraamayaah, Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu, Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet,” which means, let everyone be happy, let no one suffer from any illness, we should look after the welfare of all, let no one ever suffer.
Hon. Rameswar Teli, an Indian government minister, highlighted the importance of sacrificial parental love and its role in building a happy family, and in turn, a better society, nation and world.
Hon. Bhubaneswar Kalita, a Member of Parliament and senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party of India, said that during this time of great difficulty a spirit of family and parental heart is needed to reach out to everyone so that no one is isolated.
Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal, chair of UPF-Asia Pacific and a former minister of Nepal, said that the time-tested philosophy of parents, packed with love, compassion and humanity, should be imbibed by all. He said the “parental heart” alone can be a cure for all evils ailing society.
Amb. K.V. Rajan, chairman of UPF-India, a retired diplomat and a former member of the Indian Foreign Service, noted that while this is a time when unity and solidarity are urgently needed, increasing conflicts and acrimony pervade international affairs. He said nations and leaders should eschew narrow interests to wage a decisive and united effort to defeat the pandemic.
Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, chief economic advisor to the government of Sikkim state and senior professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University of Delhi, said parents are master craftsmen at infusing the 3Ds: discipline, dedication and determination, while inculcating the balanced use of brain, heart and mouth. Throughout his remarks, he gave anecdotes of his encounters with Mother Teresa.
Dr. Anu Mehra highlighted the parents’ role and said society should also play a role in taking care of old parents who gave the prime years of their lives to shaping and grooming their children.
All the speakers unanimously agreed that only parental love can heal the world from this unprecedented crisis.
Mr. Santosh Paudel, director of UPF-South Asia, greeted the panelists and attendees on behalf of Dr. Chung Sik Yong, regional group chair of UPF-Asia Pacific. The webinar closed with Mr. Krishna Adhikari, secretary general of UPF-India, who moderated the webinar, thanking everyone for their participation.
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