Faith leaders, educators, and students gathered in the South Goan town of Sanguem on October 2 for “Sanguem Sadbhavna Dis,” an interfaith celebration honoring Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of peace and non-violence.
Organized by the Solidarity Forum of the Society of Pilar, the event carried the theme “Non-Violence in Sacred Texts Across Faiths” and brought together more than 200 participants from different religious backgrounds at the Miracles Church hall.
The program opened with a multi-faith invocation by schoolchildren, followed by a welcome address from Fr. Lelwin Pereira, assistant parish priest.
In his keynote speech, Professor Constancio Fernandes said Gandhi’s message was “more relevant today than ever in this nuclear age, when the threat of a third world war looms overhead.”
He warned that humanity must “follow Gandhi’s principles of peace and non-violence or risk dire consequences,” emphasizing that “no religion preaches violence” and that “love, peace, and service to humanity form the core tenets of all religions.”
Fernandes added that “humanity is the greatest of all religions” and suggested including the core teachings of different faiths in school curricula “to promote communal harmony.”
Students from several local schools, including Union High School, Miracles High School, and Our Lady of Fatima High School in Rivona, staged performances highlighting messages of peace and unity.
Seminarians from the Pilar Seminary presented a Hindi skit underscoring shared human values across religions.
Columnist Pachu Menon said, “There couldn’t have been a better day to celebrate the Sanguem Sadbhavna Dis … the birth anniversary of the apostle of peace.”
“No religion endorses violence. It was amply demonstrated that there is more that unites us as countrymen than divides us,” he added.
Mohammad Mugees Siddiqui, Imam of Jama Masjid in Sanguem, said he “felt happy to be part of the program,” adding that similar gatherings “if held throughout India, would be beneficial for our country in promoting peace, brotherhood, and unity.”
He said Sanguem, with its diverse communities, “embodies Goa’s pluralistic spirit.”
The program, hosted by Rimmy Vas and Gleeza Pereira, concluded with the singing of the national anthem.
Held a day after the United Nations’ International Day of Non-Violence, the event reaffirmed Gandhi’s belief that compassion and understanding remain at the heart of lasting peace.
