Jammu, Apr 17: Intellectuals, scholars, media personalities and others on Tuesday said that younger generation should be made aware about the historical importance of Silk Route and the contribution of the Sufi saints who traveled through it and strengthened the pillars of love, mutual brotherhood and peace in this belt.    
 Speaking at a round table discussion-- Unlocking Himalayan Mysteries---organized by  KASHMIRINK here, they unanimously agreed upon the fact that time had come to make youth aware about the contribution of the sufi saints.
 Minister for Medical Education R S Chib underlined the need to explore the mysticism and spirituality associated with the Himalayas to promote spiritual tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
 The Minister while referring to the long list of saints and seers who laid the foundation of spiritualism in consonance with the serene environs of the state bound by a series of mountain ranges, said that these godly men were instrumental in creating the composite culture based on mutual brotherhood and religious tolerance. He said that saints and seers from across the world would come to the state to find solace and spirituality setting in the traditions of Sufi way of life which has appealed generations after generation.
 The Minister said that the Sufi shrines from Poonch Rajouri to Kishtwar and Lakhanpur to Leh would prove a great attraction for the people who want to spend peaceful moment to quench their thirst of spirituality. 
 The Minister lauded the efforts of the organizer Babar Afzal for organizing the conference on the topic and said that this innovative approach would promote tourism and help in cultural exchange of the state.
 Speaking on the occasion, Director Information, Kh Renzushah said it were great sufi-saints like Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) and Hazrat Shah Hamdan (RA) who traveled to Kashmir through silk route. He said that importance of 3-K in sufi line lies in mutual brotherhood and communicative route between Kashgar, Kashmir and Kishtwar. He said that this route since times immemorial was either start of the silk route or culmination of silk route. Thus the importance of J&K state in the historical perspective with regard o silk route is for more important. He said that once we understand the moral teachings of great sufi saints, our spirits get purify and we start the living each other as real human being.
 Director Information stressed the need for the revival of Silk route and said that it will not only strengthen the Sufi traditions but also boost the economy of the state.
 Those who actively participated in today’s round table series on the topic included Minister for Medical Education R S Chib, Director Information, Khawaja Farooq Renzushah, Director Tourism, Jammu Robin Mehta,  Great Gandhian, Padamshree S P Verma, Representative  BCCI Ranjeet Kalra, President, Chamber of Commerce, Jammu Y. B. Sharma, Director, Department of Strategic & Regional Studies Dr. Muhammad Monir Alam, Head of Department, Department of Political Sciences Prof. Anurag Gangal, Bureau Chief, Times Now Pardeep Dutta representatives of KASHMIRINK and the organizer of the event Hina, Babar Afzal, representative of student community and KASHMIRINK foundation Abhinandan.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST