CJI on dais, Dosanjh recites ‘first they came for…’, talks of Auschwitz

By Dilip -
The speech focusing on Nanak’s teachings in context of the detention centres existing around the world was delivered by former Attorney General of British Columbia and former Canada Federal Minister Ujjal Dosanjh.

WITH CHIEF Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde seated on the dais, the stories of Auschwitz concentration camp and about the “silence” surrounding the existence of detention centres in Assam and outside India found a noticeable mention at an international conference celebrating 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on Saturday in 
Chandigarh. German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller’s poem “first they came for….” was also read at the event organised by Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana.

The speech focusing on Nanak’s teachings in context of the detention centres existing around the world was delivered by former Attorney General of British Columbia and former Canada Federal Minister Ujjal Dosanjh. Beginning his speech with a reference to the anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz camp, Dosanjh said “hold the thought” and went on to describe the relevance of Nanak’s teachings in today’s world. Saying that Nanak was not only a scholar and thinker but also an activist and a critic, Dosanjh said the Guru cannot be reduced to mere scriptures. 

“I cannot imagine Nanak sitting day in and day out reading poetry…spiritual poetry. My Nanak would ask me…you have read it, understood it.. what will you do to change the world? Nanak’s verse is ‘pavan guru pani pita mata dharat mahat (air is our teacher, water our father, and Earth, the great mother)’. He did not say Punjab was mahat. He did not say India was mahat. He said dharat mahat. He would have never…said Punjab is for Punjabis and Assam is for Assamese…Hungary is only for Hungarian white people. Nanak would have never stood silent in face of all that is happening in this world,” he said....
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cji-on-dais-dosanjh-recites-first-they-came-for-talks-of-auschwitz/

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