The word democracy is derived from the Greek words, demos (people) and Krateein (to rule). And hence there is a feeling that democracy has its roots in ancient Greece. But in reality, the principles of real democracy were discussed much earlier by Buddha and its influence is seen in his teachings, said Prof. P.D. Satya Pal of the Department of Anthropology, Andhra University.
According to him, in Buddha’s Kalama Sutta, relevant aspects of modern democracy such as right to scrutiny, right to hold an opinion and right to discuss were mentioned.
Keeping these aspects in mind, Andhra University Department of Anthropology, will be hosting a two-day international conference on ‘Buddhism and establishment of Democratic society- The way forward’, from November 15.
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According to Prof. Satya Pal, from Buddha’s teaching it can be observed that a democratic government without a democratic society is bound to fail. “The success of democracy depends on how mature society is,” he said.
Apart from various aspects pertaining to democracy and society, there will also be a special focus on Andhra Pradesh and its connection with Buddhism.
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“Anthropological study reveals that AP played a major role during the Buddhism period, right from second century BC to ninth century AD,” he said.
While Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam, which were then part of south Kalinga, were the hub of Buddhism between the 2{+n}{+d}Century BC and 2 Century AD, places like Amravati and Nagarjuna Konda, played a prominent role between 4{+t}{+h}century AD and 9{+t}{+h}century AD.
“What is interesting is that Andhra Pradesh has seen all phases of Buddhism such as Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana, and was the home for nine out of 17 school of Buddhist thoughts,” he said.
According to the professor, pitching Amravati as the capital city and with its Buddhist connection, will definitely work as an opportunity in the ‘Look East’ policy of the State government.
Over 40 papers will be presented during the two-day conference, with 15 from national universities, five from research institutions and seven from foreign universities, including Harvard University and NASA.
Over 15 academicians from Japan, USA, Sri Lanka and Middle East will attend the conference.
Inaugural session
The inaugural session will be attended Vice-Chancellor of AU G.S.N. Raju, presidents of Japan-India Bodhi Society Shinsho Furukawa and Seo Koso, A. Anjeneya Reddy former IPS officer, Satish Kumar Gajbhiye, SP of Cuttack, and Shyam Tagade, Secretary,f Government of Maharashtra.