Choosing humanity over disregard for Syrians’ rights.
“How Did India Challenge This Phrase!”
In the closing section of “The Three Kinds of Treasure,” Nichiren Daishonin emphasises that vital to winning in life is accumulating treasures of the heart, which we can gain by respecting others and striving in our Buddhist faith and practice.
Eleven years on, mounting challenges push many displaced Syrians to the brink. This is a summary of what was said by Assumpta research journalist.
Syrians in their informal settlements around the world where families start their new life.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, appeals to the world to not forget or neglect the growing needs of displaced Syrians inside and outside the country, 11 years since the crisis began.
Syria remains the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 13 million people have either fled the country or are displaced within its borders.
The global debate about human rights taking place in venues from the halls of the United Nations to the street corners of impoverished communities has brought to the fore many conflicting value systems and worldviews.
Individualism vs. communalism. Modernity vs. tradition. East vs. West. North vs. South. Economic and social rights such as the right to employment and decent housing vs. the civil and political rights to free speech and expression.
In the end, however, all concepts of human rights including those that do not necessarily use the language of “human rights” have their basis in some understanding of human dignity.
In other words, people merit decent treatment because they possess human dignity, some kind of inherent worth that is theirs by the simple fact of being human.
- In some traditions, this dignity derives from God, in whose image humanity was created.
- In other traditions, the unique capacity to think and reason is said to be the source of human dignity.
More and more, however, the idea of human dignity as the basis for rights and prerogatives over nonhuman nature is being supplanted by the idea of special human responsibilities to exercise responsible stewardship in nature and to treat all life with respect.
How do Indians understand human dignity?
Tsasi: In India, the human rights education programme for women consists of weekly workshops. Women learn about their human rights and the laws that protect these rights.
The starting point for India to understand human dignity is the value and sanctity of life.
For example, In ancient India, water was important for the religious practices of Hinduism. Hindus believe that water is a giver of life, destroyer of evil, and purifier of the soul. In this culture, the rivers are not just seen as just water bodies, but as life-giving gods or goddesses.
The same applies to cows. Hinduism is a religion that raises the status of Mother to the level of Goddess. Therefore, the cow is considered a sacred animal, as it provides us see life sustaining milk. The cow is seen as a maternal figure, a caretaker of her people.
Assumpta: They have a profound view that the life of the individual and every living thing on earth is inseparable from the vast universe itself?
Tsasi: From that perspective, yes. Except that human life is a rare privilege with special responsibilities.
What makes the Indians to freely choose to act for good to help the Syrians rather than harming them?
Tsasi: Ultimately, the Indians’ understanding of human dignity is rooted in the idea that we are able to choose the path of self-perfection.
We can, in other words, consistently make those difficult choices for creativity, growth and development.
This state of self-perfection, a condition of fully developed courage, wisdom and compassion. The idea that all people all life, in fact have this potential expressed by the concept, stressed particularly in the Mahayana tradition, that all living beings possess Buddha nature.
Assumpta : INDIA and SYRIA MUTUAL RELATION:
As you pointed out, the starting point for India to understand human dignity is the value and sanctity of life. It reminds me of the idea of “Establishing the peace of the land for the correct teaching.”
Tsasi: Indeed, India as a country has always been involved in its own societies affairs and ready to lead international communities through nobility of their character.
Although Indian policymakers are understandably focused on domestic challenges and priorities, they nonetheless seem determined to raise India’s profile internationally.
Addressing the Heads of Indian Missions in February 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted them to shed old mindsets and to “help India position itself in a leading role, rather than just a balancing force, globally.”
Delivering the 21st IISS Fullerton Lecture in Singapore five months later, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar reaffirmed the Indian government’s commitment to “shoulder greater responsibility,” adding that “India engages the world with greater confidence and assurance.”
To be sure, India’s economic growth has been neither linear nor uniform. The country continues to face huge challenges on its path to prosperity and to becoming a “leading power.” Alleviating poverty and hunger, and dealing with Pakistan are but two such challenges.
Furthermore, Indian foreign policy has yet to break decisively from its Nehruvian moorings. Yet, India’s accomplishments in the economic and military spheres are nonetheless impressive. And Indian diplomacy under the Modi government arguably has been more pragmatic, proactive and self-confident than ever.
The growth of India’s power and standing, and of its active diplomacy can be seen in its renewed focus on the Middle East (West Asia).
Acknowledging that India’s “footprint” in the region has been “relatively autonomous of strategic calculation,” Indian policymakers recognize the need to develop a holistic engagement strategy, one that seeks both to strengthen economic ties and to institutionalise long-term security cooperation.
Against the backdrop of these developments, the essays in this series examine the geopolitical dimensions, economic ties, transnational networks, and other aspects of India’s links with the Middle East (West Asia) , a region that plays a vital role in India’s economy and its future.
“Commitment” is another name for India’s mutual relations with Syria.
Tsasi: In the sense you use it, to have commitment is to view the Suffering of the Syrians as injustice and sacrifice to eliminate that injustice. As a general rule, it starts with economic activities.
India facilitated the development and modernization of the Hama Iron & Steel Plant, under a LOC of US$25 million, which was extended to Syria in 2008. Indian company Apollo International Limited in tandem with GECOSTEEL under the Syrian Ministry of Industry has completed (2017) the project during the crisis.
India assisted Syria in carrying out a feasibility study on augmentation of its phosphate production. A consortium of Indian companies, composed of PDIL, RITES and MECON carried out the study. India is presently looking into further cooperation with Syria in this sector as normalcy is returning. An MOU on Cooperation in the Fertilizer sector was also concluded in October 2010. The MOU will facilitate Indian involvement in the development of the phosphatic fertiliser sector in Syria. Further, cooperation in this field has to resume post crisis Syria.
India has two significant investments in Syria in the oil sector. Firstly, an agreement signed in January 2004 between ONGC and IPR International for exploration of oil/natural gas in Block 24 near Deir-ez- Zour in northern Syria. Secondly, investment by ONGC India and CNPC China to jointly acquire the 37% stake of PetroCanada in the Syrian Al Furat Petroleum Company. OVL is currently facing difficulties in its operations due to the sanctions imposed by the US & EU on the Syrian oil sector. (Suspended activity is sought to be resumed once the sanctions are removed)
The two countries have a mechanism of Joint Commission Meeting (JCM); the 2nd Session of JCM was held in June 2010 and the 3rd JCM is scheduled to take place soon.
The Syria-India Joint Business Council (JBC) was inaugurated in November 2010 during the Presidential visit. The JBC is headed by Mr. V.R.S. Natarajan, CMD, BEML from the Indian side and Mr. Ali Mehran Khwanda of Khwanda Group from the Syrian side. Proposal to constitute a new JBC post-crisis is in the pipeline.
Mutual Trade Exchange between Syria & India for that lead to trust, and provides jobs for men and women, minorities, peasants, and small business and encourages indigenous development.
These are all practicable solutions for real, immediate problems the Syrians are facing. I think India will play a major role in making the 21st century a “century of humanity.”
Tsasi: India has also demonstrated what Nichiren Buddhism termed as “Reverence for life”.
{ Thank Tsasi for today’s dialogue.}
