Unity with all

Today, two weeks have passed since my beloved older brother Dr Prem Kumar Vankwani left us. In this critical time, the tense situation in the country has saddened me more.

Human history has witnessed that as long as people remain united, they are safe and secure. During my TV interviews, I always speak in favor of promoting tolerance and respecting each other's stance on various issues.

Unfortunately, our beloved country was forced to face the worst kind of chaos in the last few days. The violence, during the holy month of Ramazan, has resulted in the loss of precious lives, including those of the police. However, it is a good sign that negotiations have improved the law and order situation.

Ramazan is a month of blessings, but the occurrence of such tragic events in this holy month is a clear indication that we have forgotten the real religious teachings about patience, forbearance and tolerance.

In my view, all religions of the world that teach brotherhood, mutual respect, love, peace and tolerance are to be respected. Nobody should be allowed to be blasphemous against any religion under the guise of freedom of expression. Similarly, all kinds of violence, aggressiveness and extremism must also be discouraged at any cost.

In every religion, brotherhood is considered one of the most important relationships in the world. The last Prophet (pbuh) has advised that: “None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself.”

According to the Holy Ramayana, Shri Rama had three brothers – Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan. The teachings of Ramayana emphasized that the elder brother deserves to be respected like a real father. Similarly, younger siblings must be treated with love, compassion and kindness.

In the Holy Bhagavad Gita, it is clearly stated that there should be love, affection and unity among all brothers and sisters. The most popular festival of Raksha Bandhan also demonstrates the traditional affection and care of Hindu girls for their brothers. Similarly, the Holy Bible also states that: “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” emphasizing that every human being is equal in the eyes of God.

All great leaders, including Quaid-e-Azam, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela, were firm supporters of solidarity at national and universal levels. They struggled tirelessly to ensure equal freedom and civic rights of every citizen in their societies.

Today, even in the 21st century, there is a dire need to promote a culture of patience, tolerance and brotherhood in order to tackle unwanted elements spreading hatred and violence. No doubt, this is the toughest task but it can be possible through constant efforts, hard work and mutual cooperation. All sensible and peace loving people, regardless of their religious, political and geographical affiliations, must come forward to join hands for the success of this noble cause. Similarly, the focus of our foreign policy must be on strengthening friendly relations with other countries.

We must understand that there are extremist elements in every society and they propagate hatred in order to pursue their vested interests. However, such a situation demands to be tacked in an intelligent and smart way. In this regard, our government must utilize all diplomatic channels available. The role of our new generation is also very significant to promote love and unity on social media.

During Ramazan, everyone of us must struggle to promote unity and respect to all faiths. The way people are acknowledging my older brother Dr Prem Kumar Vankwani in good words after his death has encouraged me to keep serving humanity. If we succeed in practising the culture of brotherhood, then obviously the world will be transformed into a wonderful place for everyone.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

Twitter: @RVankwani