Bhutan Foreign Minister Lyonpo Damcho Dorji praises India's religious diversity

INDORE: Praising India's religious diversity, Bhutan Foreign Minister Lyonpo Damcho Dorji here today highlighted that in the world's biggest democracy people of different religions have been living together for centuries.

"India is the birthplace of the world's four major religions -- Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism -- and people belonging to these religions have been living together in India for centuries. This has further enhanced world's largest democracy's heritage," Dorji said, addressing the third International Dhrma-Dhamma Conference.

Dorji also praised the Madhya Pradesh government for organising the conference which he said will help in enhancing "harmony and understanding" between different religions.

Addressing the Conference in the inaugural session, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that India looks at the world as a global family and in this country the meaning of religion is very broad.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasised the religious unity and harmony. The religion was not meant for violence but for the welfare of the living being, he said.

"The one who does good for everybody is a religious person while the one who harms others is anti-religion. No religion permits anyone to do wrong things in its name," he said.

Nearly 1,000 delegates from 29 countries are taking part in the three-day conference which started today.