Goa: “Christmas itself is a Sadbhav. Nobody can say that at any point of time, that the followers of Jesus, whether they belong to any denomination, they never kept aside Sadhav, and that Christmas is being celebrated throughout the world to create and proclaim Sadbhav,” said His Excellency Honourable Governor of Goa, P S Sreedharan Pillai. Pillai was delivering a keynote address as a Chief Guest on the celebration of Christmas with members from different faith communities organised by Sadbhav, an initiative to foster interfaith relations and communal harmony, of the Missionary Society of St Francis Xavier popularly known as the Society of Pilar at Pilar in Goa.
His Excellency congratulated the Society of Pilar in organising this programme and lauded them for dedicating their lives for a cause of humanity. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said the message of love, peace, joy and happiness was proclaimed at the birth of Jesus for the whole of human beings is followed in the country as well.
He said that he is grateful to the Christian community for rendering selfless service to humanity through its education and medical institutions. “Christians consider selfless service towards others as service to God,” Governor said. He further highlighted the pioneering works of the Christian missionaries in the field of printing and language. He said that India has welcomed several world religions and given maximum opportunity for them to flourish because of its attitude of openness as summed up in the Vedic saying, ‘’Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah‘ ‘(1.89.1 Rigveda), which translates to “Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides.”
“Around 5000 years back, India had the basic concept of sarva dharma samabhav, which is articulated in the Upanishadic idea of “Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti”, which means, “That which exists is ONE; sages call it by various names,” he noted. He concluded his address by saying that he pays homage to the rich history and tradition of the country, which never believes in a theocratic state.
In his address he said that, “If there is anything that can unite us, it is God; not wealth, not power, not ethnicity, not class; they divide, God unites,” said Rev. Fr. Sebastião Mascarenhas, the Superior General of the Society of Pilar. Quoting the Second Vatican Council Document Nostra Aetate, Fr Mascarenhas said, “One is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth. One also is their final goal, God. Praising the Governor for his keynote address,” he said adding “Your Excellency, your openness and wisdom will remain with us and guide us”. “Genuine listening is the basis of harmony and peace, and that the Governor is a great example for us,” Fr. Mascarenhas added.
A panel discussion on the topic ‘Walking Together – Challenges and Opportunities” was conducted. It was moderated by Pramod Acharya, Chief -Editor of Prudent Media in Goa, who did a wonderful job of weaving the different ideas shared by the Governor and initiating the discussions among the panelists which included Dr. J. Alexander IAS (Retd.), Former Chief Secretary and Former Cabinet minister for Tourism, Government of Karnataka, Mrs. Shefali Kale – Asst. Prof. Dept. of Philosophy, St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa-Goa, Mrs. Azmina Sameer Laljee – President, Council for Goa, Ismaili Muslims and Mr. Gursharan Singh – Senior Veteran Indian Navy, Secretary, Gurdwara Mangoor Hill, Vasco- Goa.
Pramod Acharya began by asking, “Can Goa be polarised? We as a state or country can be polarised for a long period of time.” The panellist shared pertinent insights on this question during the discussions and enlightened the gathering.
The students of Fr. Agnel Higher Secondary School, Pilar, led the gathering into prayer through a prayer dance. Fr. Lawrence Fernandes, the director of the Pilar Animation Centre welcomed the Governor and all the dignitaries and said that we are fortunate to have the Governor with us. Fr. Elvis Fernandes, a priest belong to the Society of Pilar, the Convenor of Sadbhav said that Sadbhav Christmas has strengthened our bonds as one human family. He further said that he wishes to make Sadbhav, a movement that will permeate every space of Goa and beyond. He reminded the gathering that they are partners in this great mission of fostering peace and harmony among people from all walks of life. Tania Shirodkar, Asst. Professor, BBA Dept., Dempo College of Commerce & Economics, Cujira Bambolim, Goa ably compered the programme.
Congrats for this great synod evanzalation love n prayers