Friends and fellow devotees of the Lord!
Namaskars to every one of you. It is such a joy to be in your midst this evening. Let my first word be a word of greeting. With love and humility in my heart I greet everyone of you. You who have come to this congress from places near and far, some of you from different parts of India, some of you from different Asian countries some from abroad, I greet you all in the name of the great ideal to which this congress is dedicated, the ideal of reverence for all life-reverence not merely for all human beings but reverence for every creature that breathes the breath of life. Reverence for trees and flowers, for rivers and rocks, for stones and streams, reverence for mother earth, father sky, reverence for brother sun and sister moon. In the name of this great ideal of reverence for all life, for all life should be regarded as sacred.
There are four lines of a poem that I read several years ago. They have clung to memory.

The poet says:
I crushed a spider and then I thought did I do well to slay?

God gave her as he gave to me a share in this night and day. Yes we all belong to the one brotherhood of life. In the name of this ideal of brotherhood, of compassion, of sympathy, of reverence for all life, I greet you all.
And my second word is a word of gratitude. I feel grateful to His Excellency
Mr. Venkatraman Ex-President of India. I feel grateful to Gurudev Shri Chitrabhanuji. They both have come and blessed us this evening. I feel grateful to Mr. Victor for the beautiful words that he spoke to us a little while ago. And above all I feel grateful to Mr. Jassoo Shah who has called me here and given me an opportunity of associating myself with this beautiful congress. All the four of them I regard as devotees of the Lord. All the four, their hearts flow in a stream of sympathy to every creature that breathes the breath of life. All the four, I believe have heard the voice which many of us do not hear. All the four have heard this voice which comes from every nook and corner of the earth-the voice of suffering. They have heard the voice which speaketh to us in the depths of the silence the silence of the soul putting to us this one question is not the animal too your brother? Is not the animal too your brother? if I had the option I would speak only those seven words to you again and again and still again, is not animal too your brother? Is not the animal too your brother?

At this congress I have no doubt we shall hear many brilliant speeches, we shall hear many thoughtful and stimulating speeches, we will hear many speeches that will enthrall and inspire but making speeches is the least part of the work that lies ahead of us. May this congress be so blessed as to inspire some to become activist in the field. The work that lies ahead of us is vast. Workers are needed, volunteers are needed, men with fire in their hearts are needed for today there is so much of cruelty, there is so much of carelessness in our treatment of our fellow creatures. Today man has forgotten the great truth that he is only as part of nature. Man regards himself as the sovereign of nature and thinks he can do whatever he pleases with his fellow creatures and with his environment therefore as I said workers are needed. Volunteers are needed. Men with fire in their hearts are needed for man needed to be re-educated. Man needs to be taught that he is only a part of nature and that in destroying nature he is destroying mankind.There is a man he has worked as a welder for several years. He met me and he explained to me, he said to me that when two materials need to be joined together through welding both the materials need to be at white heat temperature. Even if one of them is not at white heat temperature how so ever much you may try to weld them they will fall apart, you will not be able to join them. It is this white heat that is needed. I believe in the affairs of men, this is what we need today white heat. And may this congress generate this white heat.

As I said the work that lies ahead of us is vast. Workers are needed, dedicated workers are needed for the nations need to be galvanized, humanity needs to be awakened. That is what Mahatma Gandhi did. He came and awakened the slumbering masses of India and India marched on to freedom. India marched on to independence.But I have been asking myself the question: "Is India truly free? Is India truly independent?" I recall the words of my beloved master and mentor Sadhu Vaswani it was he who said: "No nation is truly free until its animals are free." Sadhu Vaswani also said: "We have adopted Ashoka's dharma chakra as our symbol but are we true to the spirit of Ashoka?" Ashoka it was who built hospitals for animals and birds. Ashoka it was who banned all slaughter and India became a completely vegetarian country. I sometimes feel that the spirit of Ashoka impeaches us at the bar of eternal justice for we have adopted his dharma charka as our symbol but we are not true to the spirit of Ashoka. We are not true to the spirit of Ashoka.

Friends of dumb defenseless creatures are needed. They cannot speak for themselves, we have to speak for them. They have no press, they have no radio, they have no T. V. where through to voice their grievances. They have no representatives on our assemblies and at the center to take up their cause. We have to take up their cause. Have you ever thought of the atrocities that are perpetrated upon animals day after day on the streets, in our laboratories and in our slaughter houses. Have you thought of million of creatures imprisoned in tiny cages deprived of movement and fresh air, deprived of light, forced to stand in their own filth all their life? Have you thought of animals stunned and hung upside down in line to have their throats cut. Have you ever thought of the atrocities that are committed on cows and wheel calves and pigs and chickens and sheep and factory farms and in our slaughter houses. And the worst part of it is that after being subjected to such an appalling life they are finally eaten up. And this night mare goes on day after day in the case of millions of creatures who would anytime prefer to die rather then exist in conditions of which the worst Nazi concentration camp would be ashamed.

Are you aware my friends that on an average a human being eats up over A thousand creatures-big and small during a life time. The time is come when we must decide once and for all that all type of human exploitation must cease. Just as the black people do not exist as resources for the whites, just as women do not exist as resources for men, even so animals do not exist as resources for human beings. The time is come when we must decide once and for all that all type of human tyranny must come to an end if we are to have peace on earth. Today wherever I go I hear of animal welfare. Animal welfare is not the answer. Animal rights are needed. Men have their rights, do animals have no rights? Men have their rights, do they not have duties towards the animals who have befriended man since the dawn of creation-the dog, the horse, the cow. They have served man since the dawn of creation. Do men not have duties towards them? The time is come when we must all get together to formulate a charter of animal rights and a charter of man's duties towards the animals.

Who will do this if not India the country that has been committed to the idea of non-violence through the centuries. The country that has given birth to Mahavira and Mahatma Gandhi, to Gautama Buddha and Ashoka, to Sadhu Vaswani and other prophets of reverence for all life. We must get together and formulate a charter of animal rights. Every animal has certain fundamental rights.
And the very first right of every animal is the right to live for you cannot take away that which you cannot give. Since you cannot give life to a dead creature, you have no right to take away the life of a living one. The year 1789 marks a landmark in the history of humanity. It was in that year the year 1789 over two centuries ago that The French National Assembly adopted a declaration of the rights of man. Until then man had no rights. The kings could do what they liked. It was in the year 1789 that the French National Assembly adopted the declaration of the rights of man. The 18th century gave rights to man. The 19th century gave rights to slaves. Slaves in those days had no rights, they were treated as we treat animals today. But thanks to that great, that truly noble soul, thanks to Abraham Lincoln slaves were given their rights. The 18th century gave rights to men. The 19th century gave rights to slaves. The 20th century has given rights to women. And the 21st century I verily believe will give rights to animals. That will be a great and glorious day in the history of humanity.

My friends today violence is increasing in our society.Today innocent men are being shot in broad daylights. Today we have fights and fumes. We have hatred and strife we have wars and violence. No I tell you wars will not end. Wars will not end until we stop all killing. All killing must be stopped for the simple reason that if I kill an animal for food I will not hesitate in killing a fellow human being whom I regard as an enemy. All killing must stop. No sentient creature must be killed. All life must be regarded as sacred. Today man stands on a planet of limitless promise. Today man has reached the zenith of technological brilliance. Today man has set foot on the moon. His rockets go flying past the distant planets. He has been station Satellites in space yet is he confused as to his own real being and purpose. His heart is stirred with a thousand fears which he cannot name. Today man's mind is agitated. Today his heart is troubled and unsure. Today man's anger flares easily. Today man has become slave to his own cravings, his desires. And the civilization which he has built and of which he is so proud, this civilization is already crumbling beneath the burden of its own weight. A new civilization is to be born.

This new civilization must be born in something which is greater, nobler by far then by mere secular socialism. For a civilization to endure it must be built in a new religion of reverence for all life. all life must be regarded as sacred.My friends I would ask you of this conference to develop International links, International contacts. The time spirit is in favor of vegetarianism. Movements have grown in America, movements have grown in Europe, movements have grown in other continents urging upon man to refrain from all food of violence. Some have called it the Vegetarian renaissance. I am told that in some countries they do not enquire any longer about the I. Q.-the Intelligent Quotient of a person, they inquire about his V.Q.-the vegetarian quotient. Therefore I will ask you to work in co-operation with other International movements. The world today is become one. India is no longer an isolated country. We belong to the world, the world belongs to us. Therefore let us work in co-operation, let us strengthen our International links.

Concerning the health benefits of a vegetarian diet I shall not speak today for there is no time but I have no doubt that during the few days to come eminent doctors will speak to you on this most important aspect of the subject. The question has been asked of me again and again, this question has been put to me again and again, why is it that of all religions Hinduism is the only religion that emphasizes the cultivation of compassion to creatures? It is true Hinduism stresses the cultivation of compassion to creatures that breathe the breath of life as was told us by his Excellency the Ex-President Ahinsa parodharma-there is no religion higher then non violence. There is no religion higher then compassion. There is no religion higher then reverence for all life. this is the Call of India to humanity. This has been the teaching of India's rishis and sages through the ages. But as I have studied the teachings of the prophets the founders and leaders of other religions I have found that they all have taught this truth, they all have taught this truth, it could not be otherwise.And I have brought with myself a few quotations I will read them out to you lest in quoting them from memory I may make a mistake here or there.

Centuries before Jesus there appeared Pythagoras the sage who impressed on his brotherhood the rule not to kill nor injure any creature. Flesh diet he Condemned as sinful food. Of Gautama Buddha we read that just as he was about to pass away he said to his dear devoted disciple Ananda, he said to him: "Ananda next to teaching the people to put away all sexual lust you must teach them to put an end to all killing and brutal cruelty. In the Holy Quran the scripture dear to the Muslims we have the words: "Animals and birds are a people like you." And Prophet Muhammad said: "Creation is one family." In the Guru Granth Sahib the great Sikh scripture which we read, he who eats flesh and fish and drinks intoxicants destroys his entire merit." In a Jewish scripture we have the words, the Hebrew Prophets enjoins against blood sacrifices. The Lord says: "I will have mercy not sacrifice." The Parsi Prophet says in the Zend Avasta: "The wicked man who makes unlawfully much slaughter of cattle and sheep and other quadrupeds has his limbs broken and separated." In the Old Testament we read: "He that killeth an ox is as though he has slayeth a man."George Bernard Shaw who had his own imitable style of expressing things He said: "I detests meat eating because I will not make my stomach a graveyard of dead animals and birds." And St. Francis of Assisi one of the greatest Christian saints, Francis of Assisi said: "All creatures feel as we do, all creatures long for happiness as we do. All the animals of this world live, suffer and die as we do. Therefore they are like us created by the almighty God."

I would continue to give you one quotation after another from the
teachings of some of the greatest religious leaders and founders, but I do
not have the time to do so, time fails me but not quotations. And I am sure
representatives of different religions will speak to you on this aspect during the next few days. I would ask you my friends to do all you can to influence students opinion in regard to vegetarianism. From my broken humble experience I have found that students respond very easily to the message that birds and animals are man's younger brothers and sisters in the one family of creation. You give them this teaching, they respond very easily to it. There are children who are not aware of the cruelty that is involved in the production of meat. I have asked children: "Do you know from where meat comes?" And some of them have innocently told me: "Why it is grown on trees." When they are told that meat is produced by slaughtering live animals they get shocked and they resolved there and then to keep away from all food of violence, from all food of cruelty.

In the month of February, in the month of March I was in the United States and there I was told that students of the Elementary Schools there, what we call Primary Schools here are called Elementary Schools in the United States, they told me that students of Elementary Schools they wear badges and on the badges are written the words: 'Eat vegetables not your friends!' Eat vegetables not your friends. They regard birds and animals as their friends. There are children who even have influenced their parents, they have changed their eating habits. Work with the children, go and work with the students in schools, go and build your work in the minds and hearts of the students and the work that you do will not easily pass away.Begin with the child I often say, begin with the child. We have neglected our children for a long time. Those are not my words those are the words once again of my beloved master, Sadhu Vaswani. One day he addressed a meeting of wealthy bankers and he said to them: "You are busy gathering silver and gold but you have neglected your richest treasure-your richest treasure is your children." How true it is that the richest treasure of a family, of a society, of a community, of a nation, the richest treasure of humanity is the children. Give them time, give them attention above all give them the love of your pure unselfish hearts. Without love no child can grow in the right way. Go and hug your children to your hearts. Go and kiss your little ones in the cradle. Love them, give them love but do not seek to impose your views on them. Give them freedom to grow. They do not belong to you, they have come through you but they do not belong to you, they belong to the infinite and on the path of the infinite let them go their way to fulfill their divine destiny. The children of today can be the builders of a brave new world tomorrow.

My friends I am reminded of an amusing story. It is the story of a businessman. He returns home in the evening, settles down in an easy chair and starts reading the daily newspaper. His child a boy four years old comes and disturbs him again and again. Just to keep the child busy this man tears from an advertisement a map of the world-tears into bits, passes on the bits, passes on the pieces to the boy and says to him: "Go and fix the world map aright and I will get you a box of chocolates." He was sure that the boy would not be able to do it because he had no knowledge of geography what-so-ever. But within a matter of minutes the boy came and said to his father: "Daddy, daddy here is the world map." The father was amazed. He said: "How could you do it you have no knowledge of geography?" And the boy said: "Daddy behind the world map was a face of a child. I put the child right and the world came out right."
"Yes put the child right and the world will come out right. Give your children time, give them attention, give them the love of your pure unselfish hearts, give them the right type of training in the home, give them the right type of education in the school and in the college they will be the builders of a brave new world.

My friends among all the creatures on earth the human being is the only one who has been given the power the capacity to interfere with the ecological balance. Human beings therefore have a special responsibility to see that the ecological balance is not disturbed, that life in all its integrity and diversity is maintained, is preserved. That all types of destruction is avoided. To destroy nature is to destroy mankind. According to an estimate every day, every 24 hours, according to an estimate everyday 210 species are being becoming extinct. We must not forget that these plants, these animals who are becoming extinct everyday 210 species are becoming extinct, these plants these animals they are the result of billions of years of the evolutionary process. They are gone forever. Everyday as I said 210 species are becoming extinct. Everyday 200, 000 acres of rain forest are being destroyed. And everyday 13 to 15 million tones of toxic waste most of which is carcinogenic is being dumped into our air, into our water, into our soil. And we are still asleep. When shall we hear the wake up call.

I shall not detain you longer. I shall not speak more to you today but I will close with a prayer that our coming together may be blessed richly by the Lord in the service of our ancient unhappy globe which appears to be drifting alas from danger to destruction.

I Thank You!