“Gandhiji gave us the gift of freedom; to celebrate his life we must strive for freedom for all through non-violence, equality, and universal brotherhood,” said Syedna Taher Fakhruddin TUS, at the inaugural function of the 150th Birthday celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi at Bombay Stock Exchange Auditorium.
Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb also quoted Gandhiji “I learnt from Husain how to achieve victory while being oppressed” and said that coincidentally we just observed Muharram a few days ago, “Gandhiji is the perfect example of how we can not only live together with mutual respect and peace, but also benefit from each other,” Syedna Fakhruddin said.
Syedna Fakhruddin also mentioned the warm relations that his grandfather and predecessor the 51st Dai, Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb with Gandhiji. He recounted Gandhiji’s stay at Syedna’s bungalow in Dandi when he had gone there for the Salt March. Syedna Taher Saifuddin later dedicated that bungalow, Saifee Villa, to the nation in the presence of then Prime Minister Pandit Nehru.
The “World Peace through Non-Violence” function was organized by H.H. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni and his Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti organization.
At the function Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb presented Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muniji with the Syedna Qutbuddin Harmony Prize, in recognition of his years of tireless efforts towards the cause of interfaith harmony and peace in India and internationally. To this end Acharya Lokesh-ji has brought together religious and political leaders from a diverse spectrum onto a single platform of understanding and mutual-respect.
The Syedna Qutbuddin Harmony Prize was instituted by Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb in memory of his late father, the 53rd head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, to recognise outstanding efforts and contributions toward interfaith harmony and peace. The Syedna Qutbuddin Harmony Prize is awarded annually, and in 2017 was presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at an interfaith conference hosted by Syedna Fakhruddin Saheb at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
The function was attended by various distinguished spiritual leaders including H.E. Tai Situpa Rinpoche and Honourable government ministers including Shri Nitin Gadkari, who all emphasised interfaith cooperation and understanding.
