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Vajpayee calls for tolerance

By Our Special Correspondent

The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, conferring the Gandhi Peace Prize 2002 on the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan which was received by its president, R. Venkataraman, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, looks on. — Photo: V. Sudershan .

NEW DELHI MARCH 18. The Gandhi Peace Prize was presented here today to the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan by the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who voiced the hope that peace would prevail.

Commenting on the irony of the Gandhi Peace Prize being given away on a day when the United States had set a deadline for the Iraqi leadership, Mr. Vajpayee said the world should not give up hope on peace. Weaving the Holi spirit into his speech, he expressed confidence that the current phase would come to an end when he said: "Hinsa-roopi holika ka dahan hoga (the evil of violence will be destroyed).''

The President described Mahatma Gandhi as an "embodiment of nobility, elevated thinking and concern for human beings'' and called for tolerance and the "integration of multi-cultures and multi-philosophies.''

The Gandhi Peace Prize — instituted by the Government in 1995 and administered by the Ministry of Culture — was accepted by the president of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Worldwide, R. Venkataraman.

In his acceptance speech, the former President highlighted the efforts being made by the Bhavan to propagate the message of Gandhiji.

The prize carries a cash component of Rs. 10 millions, a plaque and a citation. The selection was made by a jury — headed by the Prime Minister — with Mr. Venkataraman; the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi; the Chief Justice of India, V.N. Khare; and the former Prime Minister, I.K. Gujral, as its members.

The award has so far been given to several statesmen of international repute, including the former South African President, Nelson Mandela, and the former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, besides a couple of institutions — the Ramakrishna Mission and the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh.

According to the Union Culture Minister, Jagmohan, the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was selected for the 2002 award in recognition of its "lasting contribution in elevating the mindscape of India'' and "propagating the Gandhian message of love, peace, tolerance and universal brotherhood all over the world.''

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