Two day National Conference on " Inter- religious Understanding" begins in Punjab today
Vice Chancellor Punjabi University, Patiala to inaugurate
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Srinagar, Sep 29 ( RNA): A two-day national conference on “Inter-Religious Understanding: Its implications for Human Rights” organised by the Guru Gobind Singh Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, in collaboration with the Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi will be held at Punjabi University, Patiala on September 29 at 10:30 a.m. The inaugural session of this two-day conference (September 29-30) will be held in offline mode, while business sessions and valedictory session will be held online.
In a press release to RNA, the organisers said that,the conference will be inaugurated by Professor Arvind, Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, with the keynote address by Prof. M. Afzal Wani. Professor of Law & Director Coordination, GGSIP University, Delhi, & Vice Chairman, Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi. Prof. Dr. Harmohinder Singh Bedi, Chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh will be the special guest of the conference. The guests of honour in the inaugural session will be Prof. Syed Jamaluddin, Director, IOS Centre for Historical and Civilisational Studies, Delhi; Dr. B. S. Sandhu, Former Research Fellow, Punjab University, Chandigarh; Prof. Amarjit Singh, Director, Guru Granth Sahib Studies, GNDU, Amritsar; and Prof. Shivani Sharma, Chandigarh University, Punjab. The inaugural session will be presided over by Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, Former President, Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur. The convenors of the conference are Prof. Hamidullah Marazi, Convenor, IOS Forum for Inter-Religious Understanding, Delhi and Prof. Dr. Mohd. Habib, Head, Deptt. of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala.
The conference, spread over four technical sessions, will focus on the themes pertaining to the strengthening of democratic institutions and developing societal responses for non-violent conflict resolution initiatives and upholding the sanctity of human rights in the process of Inter-Religious Dialogue. It will deal with theoretical and philosophical dimensions of the subject and will also highlight the historical contours of samvad in Indian and Islamic context, and finally will assess the Constitutional safeguards which can provide the pragmatic framework for social justice and eradication of age-old injustices and conflicts involving ethnic and religious issues. Furthermore, for the legal and constitutional safeguards against intolerance, what can be the constitutional remedies and legal provisions for the protection of the rights of these minorities, and how can freedom of conscience be safeguarded, will be deliberated upon during the conference. RNA