At event to celebrate 10th century philosopher, speakers discuss tolerance, Kashmir issue

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Citing a couplet by Ghalib, he stressed on the rights of Kashmiri Pandits. “I want to put this on record that migrants have an undeniable right on their land and those who say Kashmiri Pandits don’t want to return are lying,” he said.

Prominent personalities including artists, litterateur, philosophers, former judges and spiritual gurus had come together at Vigyan Bhawan to celebrate the contributions of Abhinavagupta, a 10th-century Kashmiri Shaivite philosopher, to Indian culture. The millennium commemoration event was hosted by Jawahar Kaul, president of the Jammu Kashmir Study Centre. The organisation has formed the Acharya Abhinavagupta Millennium Ceremony Committee, headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art of Living Foundation.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and East Delhi MP Maheish Girri were also present at the event.

Another speaker, British MP Bob Blackman, got the loudest round of applause from the audience when he said, “We believe India should get a permanent seat in the United Nations General Assembly.”

The three-hour programme started with a traditional Kashmiri welcome song, followed by chanting of mantras by a group of students from JNU, with an aim to “show another side of JNU”.

The commemoration committee also announced its plans to organise seminars, goshthis and yatras in Kashmir and other parts of India in the next one year.

The panel has also sent a proposal to the New Delhi Municipal Council to name the Mandi House circle after Abhinavagupta.

“We are hopeful this will come through without any obstacles…the Mandi House circle doesn’t have an official name till date,” said Ashutosh Bhatnagar, secretary of the J&K Study Centre and convenor of the commemoration committee.