Shanti Mitra Somaj Kolyan Songstha organized monthly Interfaith Dialogue Session with different religious young people at Shanti Mitra hall room on 29 September, 2019. The dialogue session was arranged by taking verse from scriptures on ‘Parents’. Eighteen members in total were participated in the dialogue session.
The session started with an interfaith prayer by Bijon Chiran and two minutes silence keeping by the all participants. Then Linda Daru recited the Geeta Verse (14:3-4), Mun Ghosh Recited the Quran verse (Surah Ahqaf: Ayat 15) and Mamun Sarker recited the Bible verse (Ephesians 6:1-4) sequentially. After the recitation of the verses interpretation of the understanding of them by associate members were coming one after another.
As the dialogue topic was ‘Parents’ so the starting questions was ‘what do we think of our parents?’ and almost all the participants shared their feelings and thoughts about their parents by being visibly emotional. Some of the participants shared very beautiful and touchy stories about their parents. One participant said that the roots of her existence are her parents. Parents are like a tree or like an umbrella where get shelter and trust.
After sharing on this point there was a combined question ‘what are the responsibilities of parents and of children to their parents?’
The members sharing went one after another on the topic’s question and various aspects of parent-children relationship were interpreted and exemplified by the participants. Few of the members got emotional for several times during their sharing and in most of the cases they finished sharing with infinite expression that indicated the significance of parents in every children’s life.
But some of the participants shared that sometimes as child they feel discriminated from their parents. Niloy (pseudonym) said “I love my father but I feel that he doesn’t love me. He loves my sister than me. He never talks well with me.” Then some of participants also shared related experience in session.
Subarna Poli Drong, Executive Director of Shanti Mitra said “We have to remember that our parents are also human beings. They are all not perfect. They have many limitations. Sometimes parents are much concerned about a child who is a bit weak, not success etc. Parents also have responsibilities to show equal love to children because children learn moral values from parents. Young people are future parents so what you feel not fair for you now, you can make fair for your children in future.”
At last, participants talked about responsibilities of children to parents. Linda Daru said she has been using to caring by her mother, but now she tries to reverse it like; now she takes care of her mother.
The session seemed a bit heavy as all the members got into an emotion But all participants shared from their heart, which made the dialogue session more unique and beautiful.