Kalam emphasises on civilisational unity of India

Kochi, Dec 19 (UNI) Stressing the civilisational unity of the Indian heritage, President A P J Abdul Kalam today said the people of the country were bound by it, irrespective of the religion they followed.

Inaugurating the year-long centenary celebrations of the CSI Immanuel Church here, the President said at India had a heritage spanning 5,000 years.

''Whichever religion we follow, we are bound by our civilisational heritage and common values,'' he added.

Speaking on 'Transforming Religion into Spirituality',' Dr Kalam described his father, who was the custodian of the mosque in Rameswaram, and his two close friends -- one a Christian priest, Father Bodel and the other a Vedic Scholar, Shri Pakshi Lakshmana Sasthrigal -- as his most important role models who taught him how religion could be transformed into spirituality.

''There was no high school in Rameswaram at the time. But, at the age of ten years, I could listen to these great people talking of the Koran, the Bible and the Bhagvad Gita and discuss about love and compassion forming the basis of religion,'' he added.

Stressing the need for inculcating the right values in the youth, Dr Kalam suggested that every secondary school and college in the country should organise weekly lectures by eminent teachers on spirituality.

''That will elevate the young minds to love the country, to love the other human beings and elevate the young to higher plane,'' he said.

Suggesting these could be called moral science lectures, the President recalled attending similar lectures while studying at St Joseph's College, Tiruchirapalli.

''These moral science classes, where we were told about great personalities down the ages, taught us what makes a good human being,'' he added.

Lauding Kerala for the peaceful co-existence of different communities, Dr Kalam said tolerance, communal harmony and peace were the sheet anchor of the state's social life.

''Kerala is a confluence of multi-faceted developments in all societal phenomena, including religion. It has an enviable record of peaceful co-existence with tolerance as the key word in all realms of human activity.

''Communal harmony and peace have all along been the sheet anchor of Kerala's social life and, without exaggeration, let me say this has been looked up to with envy by many,'' he added.

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