Transcription of the recorded speech of Mr. Ali K. Merchant, General-Secretary Bahai Community, India

(The speech was preceded by words in Hindi, followed by a Shabad in Hindi and English)

Esteemed and distinguished leaders of religions, guests, delegates, friends, well-wishers and organizers of the World Unity Conference,

Time is limited, and all I wanted to say is, how happy I am to be part of this celebration. The world-fellowship should be sharing this happiness that is being sent out from this blessed spot of Kirpal Sagar. I know, since the time is limited, I have not been able to befittingly acknowledge the presence of the distinguished religious leaders – I have offered a prayer in Hindi – and I would like to conclude with another prayer for blessings of the Divine, for the blessings of the Almighty to be showered at this gathering and at this holy spot.

It is a Bahai prayer, revealed by Baha Ullah:

Blessed is the spot and the house,
and the place and the city,
and the heart and the mountain,
and the refuge and the cave,
and the valley and the land,
and the sea and the island, and the meadow,
where mention of God had been made and His praise glorified.

So on behalf of the Bahai Community I wish you all well and bring lots of greetings, sharing your conviction as so powerful as Baha Ullah has said, "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth!" Mention was made about the convergence – healthy convergence of the forces of science and technology on the one hand, and religion and spirituality on the other hand. And when you look at the past and the present, and what future holds for us, let us believe that peerless is that day – it is as the eye to past ages and centuries and as a light unto the darkness of times! I think that it is these spiritual forces that operate from the soil of India which give our country the strength.

And when we talk about that India will become a knowledge super-power, it is the spiritual knowledge and conviction that we are talking about. The science and technology aspect and the many other forms of knowledge that have been generated, are an auxiliary, are an adjunct to the body of spiritual knowledge which gives us the strength to attract the whole world to the spirit of unity and fellowship.

Thank you very much once again to Mataji (Mrs. Biji Surinder Kaur), and to all who have organized this conference!

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