Rachol Seminary in Goa Hosts Interfaith Meet on Gandhi Jayanti

RACHOL, GOA, October 3, 2026: Representatives of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism gathered at the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman on October 2 to reflect on truth, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence as part of an Inter-Religious Meet marking Gandhi Jayanti.

The inter-religious meet, held on October 2 under the theme “Walking Together, Learning From Each Other,” brought together faith representatives, seminarians, religious, parishioners and other guests.

The gathering began with a discussion on how people of different faiths can promote mutual understanding and cooperation amid the growing influence of social media and artificial intelligence. Participants also highlighted the need for greater ecological responsibility.

Welcoming the gathering, Seminary Rector Fr Donato Rodrigues reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to inter-religious dialogue and building understanding among communities.

Representing Hinduism, Kiran Chari, a leadership facilitator and educationist, spoke of the shared human search for truth. Quoting the Rigvedic saying Ekam Sad Vipra Bahudha Vadanti — “Truth is one but the wise speak of it in many ways” — she used the analogy of waves belonging to one ocean to explain the relationship between the individual self and the divine.

Shaik Wasim, a businessman and educationist who represented Islam, focused on the dangers of greed and excessive pursuit of profit. He cautioned against allowing financial gain to overshadow compassion and concern for others, and spoke about the social and economic consequences of interest-based transactions and exploitation.

Representing Christianity, Aurora Dsouza, Principal of Rosary High School, Navelim, emphasised the Christian belief in the common dignity of all people as children of God. She highlighted love, compassion, empathy and respect as essential to building harmonious communities.

“When people walk together and learn from one another, the road ahead becomes brighter, burdens become lighter and our shared hope for a peaceful world becomes a living reality,” she said.

Representing Jainism, Pratik Chourdia, a digital strategist and technology professional, highlighted the Jain principle Parasparopagraho Jivanam, which stresses the interdependence and mutual support of all living beings.

Drawing on Anekantavada, or non-absolutism, he described different faith traditions as distinct windows through which people seek the same universal truth. He called for humility and active listening in place of rigid dogmatism.

The gathering concluded with participants taking an oath to uphold peace, communal harmony and respect for all religions.

The four traditions brought different perspectives to the discussion while converging on common values of truth, compassion, humility, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.

By Sem. Fedrick Vas