NEW DELHI, June 27: India will never allow "the forces of hatred and violence" to come anywhere near its people, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today as she hosted an Eid reception for envoys.

She said like any religious festival in India, whether Diwali or Christmas, Eid-ul-Fitr too brings together people of all faiths.

"India is home to one of the largest population of Muslims. Our celebrations of Eid are as diverse as our regions, languages, cuisine and traditions, as vibrant as our clothes and festivities, and as sweet as our traditional meeti sevaiyan and a host of savoury dishes," she said at the reception for Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in New Delhi.

"As long as we truly practice our faiths and, as the Holy Prophet himself said: 'None of you have faith until he loves for his brother, or for his neighbour, what he loves for himself.

"We will never allow the forces of hatred and violence come anywhere near our peoples, and disrupt our societies," she said.

Extending her Eid wishes, the minister noted that Muslims all over the world observe Ramzan as the month of fasting, with a pre-dawn meal of suhoor and ending the fast everyday with iftar.

It is a month to practice self discipline and self control -- a test of inner strength, she said.

Quoting the King of Jordan from his speech in April here, Ms Swaraj said, "It was wisely said, the world is one family... Compassion, mercy, tolerance -- these values are shared by billions of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. And these values require us, together, to act for our common future.

"Just as His Majesty referred to one global family, we too in India have grown up believing that the world is indeed one family. The concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is ingrained in our ethos," Ms Swaraj said.

Courtesy: www.ndtv.com

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Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.

AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.

“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.

He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.

“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.

According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.

In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.

AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.