Multireligious, multicultural education is the solution – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s ideas about how to settle the Ayodhya crisis. “Because that place does not hold any significance for Muslims, it only makes sense for them to give it, the most holiest place for Hindus, as a gift. Then there could have been such goodwill … and the Hindus can give them something back in return.” He thinks that Hindus and Muslims could come to an agreement instead of politicizing the issue further and burying it in lawsuits.

The fundamental problem, he thinks, is not with Muslims but “leftist minded and secular Hindus who are against the devoted Hindus … why won’t they respect the sentiments of millions of rural Indians, who may not be highly educated but have a deep faith in Rama’s birthplace.” He questions secularists, “if the situation was reversed and it was the birthplace of Mohammed shouldn’t it be given to the Muslims?” “Let those people who have faith … do their thing (otherwise) fanaticism will go on increasing and people will be … humiliated on this issue.”

“Fanatics in any religion are not inspired by the scriptures or wisdom,” says Sri Sri on the larger question of religious fanaticism. “You cannot try to eliminate fanaticism in Hinduism if it exists in other religions. It is just an instinct of survival (and has) nothing to do with the philosophy.” He sees ten 10 of terrorism with “400,000 Kashmiri Hindus driven out of their homeland and living in inhuman conditions in refugee camps,” as having cast this fanatic shadow. He says the only way forward is, “We have to have a multi-religious, multicultural education for every individual and terrorism or fanaticism should go from every part of the world. Only then the world can become a safe place, otherwise the shadows will keep falling on one another.” He believes that Art of Living provides a step in that direction.

More: Indiacurrents.com