Mr. Gandhi, Fellow Judges,

Jurists, Legal Luminaries, Distinguished Guests, Children and Teachers of the City Montessori School.
I believe that almost all that has to be said has been said. So, I ask you to bear with me while I say a few words.
Let me at the very commencement thank Mr. Jagdish Gandhi for affording me the opportunity to participate in this conference.

As a result of the invitation extended to me by Mr. Jagdish Gandhi, I, who am a follower of the teachings of the greatest son of India, Gautam Buddha, who preached the doctrine of Ahinsa, find myself, today on Indian soil, on the day previous to the full moon day which marks the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of the Buddha, attending a conference aimed at bringing about a lasting peace in the troubled world in which we live. Over two thousand five hundred years ago Gautama Buddha preached that "Hatred does not cease with hatred but with love. That the defeated in any conflict live in pain and those who have given up both victory and defeat live happily". In fact in one instance the Buddha brought about peace between the Sakyas and the Koliyas who were about to engage in battle, by preaching to them the futility of war.

You will all no doubt concede that as the Buddha preached, it is the ego that causes all problems and disputes. It is this ego of ours, in other words the thought that I am or we are superior to others that results in our thinking that our will should prevail and therefore we attempt to impose our will on others and make them comply and similarly one country thinks of it self as being superior to another and to maintain that superiority stockpiles nuclear arms, whilst another country may do so out of fear, in order to defend itself, both being totally oblivious to the devastation that such powerful weapons can cause. It is this misturst of others and our ego that are the root causes. Eradicate these and you will have peace and harmony.

The United Nations which was formed after the Second World War has, as all of us know, failed in discharging the purpose for which it was formed due to it lacking the authority to enforce any of its resolutions. Then again, the major powers control its decisions. So, the necessity has arisen to have a body which would set out the rules by which the game should be played by all countries irrespective of whether they be major powers or not.

However it is no easy task to get the major powers to agree to such a body having the right to dictate to them as to how they should act or not act or do this or do that. The need for such a body, a world parliament is more today than it ever was. But you can be certain that it will be resisted by alomst all countries.

Mr. Jagdish Gandhi undoubtedly would have been moved initially, ito convening this conference by the thought that those large numbers of students who pass through his hands and into the world should have a safe world to live in. There is no doubt that Mr. Jagdish Gandhi has done all within his power to ensure that those students who receive their education at his institution will become citizens of the world and not think of themselves as citizens of a particular country. Think of thimselves as belonging to the human race. Though Mr. Gandhi has set for himslef a gigantic task, I think he has made a start and therefore we should commend him and wish him success because, if he and others who think alike succeed, then it is our children who will reap the benefits.

We must commend him for the grit, determination and dedication with which he is attempting to acheive the noble intentions behind Article 51 of the Constitution of India, to bring about peace and security in this world.

For the sake of all our children let us hope that he succeeds in this endeavour of his. Mr. Jagdish Gandhi appears to be a man who spares no pain in making a success of whatever he sets his hand to, and this is evident from the manner in which he has organised a conferecne of this magnitude and I sincerely wish him success.

May Mr. Jagdish Gandhi and his dear wife be blessed with good health and strength so that they may continue to strive on.

Thank you.

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