‘Peace is universal. Peace is the only way’

I thank the organizers for inviting me to be with you to share some of my views, and to interact with you for one of the most important issues of this world today — “the peace.”

First, as I am standing here before you, the thought that comes in my mind [is] the thought of Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha, who conquered the world by the message of peace. Peace is universal. Peace is the only way. Peace is the only solution, which we have to take forward. I am really grateful to be invited here at this conference of peace, among the members of parliament of the Asia-Pacific Region.

While I am talking about Buddha, I remember and it has come to my mind about another great son of the world, Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi, by his learning, by his teaching of religion, culture and civilization, took forward the message of peace and nonviolence.

Even today, if you see any conflict or if you see conflict-resolution or peaceful negotiation, nonviolence is the only way by which we solved many of the problems….

In my country, in India, there are many agents of violence, terrorist forces… What we have to see in India is that [it is] only by peaceful negotiation that we have solved many of such problems….

Today, talking about peace, the greatest threat against peace is terrorism.

Terrorism is almost all over the world today. So the message of peace and initiatives of peace, particularly initiatives of Parliamentarians for Peace, have great significance….

Friends, we have in our own country immigrants of countries around the world…. They reside peacefully; they reside for the prosperity of the resident county. People’s initiatives for peace play the greatest role. I really thank Universal Peace Federation International for taking this objective forward.

If I give an example in my own state, in Assam, India, there are Nepali residents. We have members of Parliament from Nepali origin. We have legislators from Nepali origin. They all live peacefully. They all believe in the message that the only existence is the peaceful existence.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am here to be one with you in the initiatives of peace. I thank once again the organizers for inviting me to the conference of Parliamentarians for Peace.

• The Honorable Bhubaneswar Kalita is a member of Parliament in India. These excerpts are from his remarks at the July 28-31, 2016 International Leadership Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal.