Spiritual guru and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday asked the people of Kashmir to “forget the past and move forward” with renewed enthusiasm.
Sri Sri while addressing a peace conference “Paigam Mohabat” here said, “AOL is doing lot of work in Kashmir for betterment of people. We trained some Kashmiris in Bengaluru and they are doing well.”
He said that his organization has opened various skill development units in Kashmir.
The spiritual guru said that Kashmiri is a “sweet language” and wanted to address the audience in their own language.
“Very few people know this language. I want Kashmiri language should be introduced as a subject in colleges and universities across the country. I will take up this issue with the concerned people,” he said.
Later, talking to reporters, Sri Sri said, “I will be meeting several delegations, including victims of violence. I will hear them over two days. I want to create a wave of happiness and an atmosphere of love in Kashmir.”
The spiritual guru said that people in Kashmir were in “lot of pain and were suffering due to violence”.
“I know they are in pain. Whatever we can do, we will do. We will do whatever is in our capacity to bring love and togetherness among the people here,” he said.
Sri Sri said that Art of Living is an NGO with limitations. “We have some limitations, and you have to understand that,” he said. “But, we have to move forward, learn from our past mistakes and not repeat them. We have to move forward with a renewed enthusiasm,” he said.
Asked if he would become an interlocutor between the people of Kashmir and New Delhi, he said that he is neither close nor far from BJP and other political parties. “Wherever I am needed to bring happiness and peace, I am always there”.
On Shopian killings, Sri Sri said, “No one can justify the killing of a security personnel or a civilian. Killing is injustice.”
“I sympathize with the families who have lost their dear ones in Kashmir. Art of Living is helping several victims of Kashmir conflict,” he added.
Earlier, members of J&K Coordination Committee, on whose invitation Sri Sri arrived in Kashmir addressed the people. Those who addressed the gathering included, Sheikh Imran, Jagmohan Raina and Dil Afroza Qazi.
Raina told Sri Sri that people in Kashmir are facing atrocities.
“See how youth were killed in Shopian,” Raina said. ” You must understand. How long we have to see this.”
PROTESTS
Spiritual guru had to cut short his address as the people who were brought from far off areas staged a protest and left the venue. They alleged that they were brought to Srinagar “by deception” and had been waiting at the venue since 8 am.
Some of them said that they did not know anything about the event.
Some alleged they had been promised jobs and a few alleged they were promised money. Some of them were carrying files regarding the regularization of their jobs.
When reporters asked Sri Sri about the protests at the venue he said, “I do not know all this. I will definitely ascertain the reason of their disappointment.”