Diwali unites different faith people at an event

• Speakers suggest combatting menace of misunderstanding among different communities

LAHORE: Diwali, the festival of lights, continues to attract people from different faiths to gather and share knowledge besides knowing about each other and how to respect everyone in the society.

Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains for a variety of reasons, the main theme of the festival is the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, said speakers at the gathering, arranged by the Hum Sub Aik Hain, an organisation formed by a group of young people based in Lahore to promote peace and harmony among the masses.

Besides members of the Hindu community, people from different faiths, including Muslims and Christians, also participated in the event. Addressing the gathering, Hum Sub Aik Hain coordinator Raza Khan and convener Atiqa Shahid said that there was a need to support peaceful coexistence here. “Our government has an active role but it is also something that everyone has to play the due role,” they said.

Sharing his thoughts, university student Anil Kumar said that the Diwali was also known as Deepavali, a Sanskrit word meaning rows of lighted lamps. “This (Diwali) is one of the most popular Hindu festivals. We celebrate the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance,” he explained.

On the occasion, university students Govinda Lohana and Sunny Singh also shared their thoughts and said that they were happy to attend an interfaith event on the occasion of their festival. “For us, it is important to combat the menace of misunderstanding among different communities so that we can create a peaceful society,” they said.

As a public platform, the organisation provides intercultural space open to all communities, whether within Pakistan or across the border. Stressing on the need for promotion of a society based on the values of acceptance and harmony, the organisation has taken up various public campaigns that open doors for creating new friendships among various religious minorities living in Pakistan.