Former Attorney General of British Columbia and former Canada Federal Minister Ujjal Dosanjh at the conference Saturday. Kamleshwar Singh Former Attorney General of British Columbia and former Canada Federal Minister Ujjal Dosanjh at the conference Saturday. Kamleshwar Singh

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.

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Saying there are detention camps in China, Assam and the United States of America, Dosanjh said, “You think Nanak would be silent in face of all that…the Nanak who said raaje seeh mukadham kute (The kings have become lions, and their subordinates are no better than dogs)… he said that to Babar…he challenged Babar, the excesses of Babar’s invasions. Nanak would not have remained silent. Nanak would have spoken out. Nanak would have been on frontlines. He was a preacher, debater, challenger, he was irreverent”.

Coming back to the story of Holocaust, Dosanjh said he has been to the Auschwitz camp where over a million Jews were exterminated. “They were in detention camps. If you have detention camps today, be there in China, be there in Assam, be there in Trump’s United States of America… imprisoning children who are trying to run from poverty and injustice to freedom…He (Guru Nanak) would have said raaje seeh mukadham kute (The kings have become lions, and their subordinates are no better than dogs)… Nanak would ask me are you speaking up… did you just read… did you just make a speech or did you go fight on the frontlines and find change in the world”.

Dosanjh also made mention of the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemollar’s confession speech and spoke about the crimes committed by Hitler against Jews, Romas and Gypsies. “He said first first they came for communists; and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the socialists; and I did not speak because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists; and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews; and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me…”

Dosanjh, who spoke right before the CJI Bobde, ending his speech, said, “We must stand up for freedom, liberty, justice and equality… Isn’t that what Nanak is all about. If you want to pay true homage to Nanak, then let Guru Nanak speak”

Justice Surya Kant of Supreme Court, earlier in his address, said it has been emphasized by the apex court time and again that constitutional identity and constitutional morality need to be preserved.

“Guru Nanak’s teachings are more relevant in contemporary times, when humanity is passing through all shades of serious conflicts. Many of us consider themselves, their caste or religion to be superior to others. This is root cause of all crisis. It has descended to such a level that we are living in the lurking fear of third world war. The need of hour is that everyone – regardless of caste, creed or religion, should imbibe the philosophy of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji in letter and spirit and practice universal brotherhood and social justice,” Justice Surya Kant said.

High Court Judges, senior lawyers of the region and students among others attended the conference at Panjab University’s Gymnasium Hall.

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