India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI, APRIL 15—Religious and spiritual leaders from different faiths have appealed to people to cooperate with the government and the local authorities in the fight against coronavirus that has spread its tentacles all across the country and claimed 377 lives so far as per figures doled out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The number of Covid-19 positive cases have so far been recorded at 9756 in the country.
Presiding over an online interfaith solidarity programme on the theme of ‘The Challenge of Coronavirus and Message by Religious Leaders’, Mr. Muhammad Salim Engineer, Vice- President of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), said, “Today the entire world is facing the brunt of the devastation caused by the Coronavirus. The number of cases impacted by the virus is growing by the day and has reached 1.8 million. The death toll is more than 100,000. The COVID-19 is now a global pandemic and causing damage all over, including India. It is a time of trial and tribulation for our countrymen and we must face this challenge unitedly.”
Many prominent religious gurus and chiefs took part in the program. They emphasized that the country is passing through an extremely sensitive period and the religious heads must act quickly if anyone tries to vitiate the peace and communal harmony prevalent in the country. We must ensure close contact between people of different faiths and support the government in its various initiatives and steps to confront the pandemic. We must motivate people to take all precautionary measures announced by the authorities and health officials. We believe that with these efforts, our society and country will be strengthened and we will be able to defeat the lethal Coronavirus pandemic.
The leaders who participated in the programme were: Sri Sri Ravishankar (Art of Living), Shankaracharya Swami Omkaranand, Swami Maartand Puri (spiritualist and journalist), Swami Laxmishanakaracharya, Goswami Sushil Maharaj, Swami Agnivesh (Sanatan Dharam Guru and Human rights activist), Giani Ranjeet Singh (Chief Granthi, Gurudwara Rakabganj), Acharya Vivek Muni (President International Mahavir Jain Mission), Dr A K Merchant (Bahai Foundation), Dr Bhikku Nandratan Thero (Pali Society of India), Rajyogi BK Brij Mohan Anand (Brahmakumaris) and Sant Veer Singh Hitkari.
The programme was convened by Mr. Muhammad Iqbal Mulla.
