Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today spoke at a programme organised by the Jain community at Netaji Indoor Stadium, to commemorate the arrival here of Acharya Shri Mahashraman, the eleventh Acharya of the Terapanth Dharma Sangha.
The Acharya would be here for four months, which, Mamata Banerjee said, would also give her an opportunity to meet him. She wished a long life for him, and for him “to continue to show the path of non-violence”.
During her speech, she stressed on the importance of working with everyone, forsaking violence and differences, and said that only such a person can be called a true human being.
She said, “I am happy to see that in this function people from every religion are present”.
“A universal religious system is one that shows the true path to everyone”, she continued. “Following a religion implies understanding the difference between the good, the bad and the fact. Religion also implies belief, dependability, dedication, determination and devotion”.
Referring to her habit of walking long distances, she said, “Like the Jain monks, I too like to walk long distances – and that requires a lot of determination”.
She also said, “Bengal has an important position in terms of geographical location, history, religion and politics”.
She ended by wishing the best for everyone.