PM says dialogue only way to resolve conflict

New Delhi, September 3

Voicing concern over violent non-state actors controlling large territories across the world and unleashing "barbaric violence", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said ideologies should give way to dialogue to resolve conflicts.

"Intolerant non-state actors now control large territories where they are unleashing barbaric violence on innocent people... The severe limitations in our conflict resolution mechanisms are becoming more and more obvious. It is, thus, no surprise that the world is taking note of Buddhism," he said without naming any country.

The Prime Minister noted that ideologies, which close the gates for dialogue, have the propensity for violence.

"Hindu and Buddhist religions are in that sense more philosophies and not just belief systems. It is my firm belief that the solution to all problems lies in dialogue," he said at 'Samvad- Global Hindu Buddhist Initiative on Conflict Avoidance and Environment Consciousness'.

The three-day event is being held by Vivekananda International Foundation and it will shift to the holy Buddhist town of Bodhgaya on the last day on September 5.

He said the world should shift from the path of ideologies, which close the gates for dialogue, to philosophy to avoid conflict.

"Ideology only believes in unabated truth. So ideologies which close the gates for dialogue have the propensity for violence while philosophy seeks to avoid it though dialogue...

"Hindu and Buddhist religions are in that sense more philosophies and not just belief systems. It is my firm belief that the solution to all problems lies in dialogue," Modi said.

It used to be believed that force indicates power but now power must come through the strength of ideas and effective dialogue which produces no anger or retribution, he said, citing the debate between Adi Sankara and Mandana Mishra over their conflicting versions of Hindu philosophy. —PTI