The Governor of Maharashtra CH Vidyasagar Rao today called for collective efforts to observe Mahavir Jayanti as ‘Ahimsa Diwas’ at the global level.

The Governor was speaking at the 2616th Janm Kalyanak of Bhagwan Mahavir (Mahavir Jayanti) in Mumbai on Sunday (9 April). Jain Acharya Padmananda Maharaj, Muni Mahendra Kumar, Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India S S Mundra, MLA Raj Purohit, National President of Bharat Jain Mahamandal K C Jain and others were present.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Governor said, the concept of Ahimsa as propounded by Mahavira had wider connotations. He asserted that Ahimsa does not mean not killing of any living being alone. He said Ahimsa in totality means Ahimsa in words, Ahimsa in thought and Ahimsa in action.

Referring to the reported news of chemical weapons attack on children in Syria and the threat of counter attack, the Governor said, Bhagwan Mahavira’s message of Anekanta and Ahimsa could alone save the world from devastation and put it on the path of peace, progress and development.

The Governor called for imbibing the teachings of Bhagwan Mahavira on children to create a ‘Samarth Bharat’. He further called for invoking the teachings of Mahavira to inculcate respect for women among children, to end vices like greed and corruption and to reduce economic disparities.