Seers to preach HIV prevention

Prominent Hindu religious leaders of India have pledged to begin delivering sermons on the dreaded HIV with a view to tackling the scourge of AIDS, which is spreading at an alarming rate.

More 70 seers from different parts of the country gathered at a two-day conference called “Faith in Action” held at the Art of Living International headquarters in Bangalore and resolved to spread awareness of HIV through their discourses, religious education, festivals and rituals.

The senior seers have also committed themselves to mobilizing priests and faith leadership to tackle the spread of AIDS by preventing people, especially youth, from falling prey to the disease through active counselling. The religious leaders will also help disseminate information about preventive measures against HIV/AIDS and fight discrimination associated with the patients suffering from the disease.

Federal Minister for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes, who attended the conclave, said the campaign against HIV/AIDS will have a far greater reach if all the saints can join in.

The schools and educational institutions run by the religious organizations will inculcate moral values among the children and youth to curb promiscuous behaviour, Art of Living Foundation’s Sri Ravi Shankar told reporters.

Director of World Conference of Religious Peace Jim Cairns, who addressed the seers, said the leadership of saints in tackling HIV and AIDS was essential not only in India, but also globally.

The two-day conference organized by UNAIDS and Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS concluded on Tuesday. Apart from noted seers of Bangalore, religious leaders from various parts of India including President of World Council of Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh, besides saints from ISKCON, Mate Vaishno Devi and pontiffs of Hindu religious organizations in Mankipur, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat participated in the meet.