Information & education have the potential to resolve conflict: Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi

Guwahati: Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi said, "India is a multi-cultural nation and diverse people have made this land their home with assimilated into its society. However, conflict arises when any one or more groups assert their hegemony over others on the economic, linguistic, cultural or political front".

Speaking at a conclave on 'Conflict of Civilization in Post-Modern India and its remedy' at ITA Centre for Performing Arts here today, Governor Prof. Mukhi said, "It is heartening that in our country though people belonging to different religious, linguistic and ethnic groups have different aspirations, they are living in complete harmony. This has been done through dialogue and inculcating the value of tolerance to remove prejudice among different communities regarding their belief systems and cultural practices. The idea of unity in diversity is being practised in letter and spirit to foment unity in India".

Referring to the American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington who argued that future wars would be fought not between countries, but between cultures, Governor Prof. Mukhi said that in the past though the conflict was witnessed between kings and kingdoms because of their expansionist policies, gradually the nature of conflict deviated to cultural affiliations. This is a dangerous proposition that might weaken the very edifice of human existence.

He, therefore, emphasized that given increasing instances of cultural conflicts which might snowball into a major global crisis there is an urgent need to aggressively generate 'awareness education' for resolving conflict.

To reduce the tensions and polarization between societies that differ in religious and cultural values, it is necessary to teach children and young people about the diverse cultures and communities that the society is blessed with. Very often, fear of the unknown leads to prejudice and conflict. For instance, many people from Northeast India have been victims of hate crimes and prejudice in other parts of India.

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