National Seminar on Enlightened Leadership held in ISI Bengaluru
A one-day National Seminar on the theme ‘Enlightened Leadership for a Greater India of Peace & Unity’ was jointly organised by Dharma Rajya Vedi (DRV) and Indian Social Institute (ISI), Bengaluru on 24th October, 2025.
The day-long Seminar began with the Gandhian prayer song, ‘Raghupati Raghava Rajaram’, which set the tone for the multi-faith National Seminar. Dr. Selvaraj Arulnathan, SJ, Director, ISI, Bengaluru, welcomed the participants by stressing on the need for enlightened leadership to deal with the difficult situation faced by minorities and marginalised communities in India.
Dr. Denzil Fernandes SJ, Head of the Department of Peace and Reconciliation at ISI Bangalore introduced the theme of the National Seminar and hoped that this Seminar will be able to herald a historic mission to build a qualitatively new kind of leadership in the Church and the country. Later, he delivered a lecture on “A Greater India of Peace and Unity: A Jesuit Vision & Mission”, where he presented the Jesuit imagination of Peace and Reconciliation actualised through the academic courses, publications, programmes and activities of the Peace and Reconciliation Network of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia.
The highlight of the National Seminar was the release of the book titled ‘Enlightened Leadership for the Greater India Movement’ published by Dharma Rajya Vedi at the hands of Bishop Emeritus Joshua Mar Ignathios, Chairman of the CBCI Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism. In his inaugural address, he appreciated the efforts of the organisers to build a leadership in the Church and the nation that resonates with the style of leadership displayed by Jesus Christ.
Acharyasri Sachidananda Bharathi, founder of Dharma Rajya Vedi, delivered the keynote address, where he outlined his mission to develop a cadre of enlightened leaders in the Church and the country that will have an inter-religious vision and an eco-spiritual ideology to achieve the unfinished goals of securing economic, social and moral freedom to every citizen of the country. Dr. Hussain Madavoor, Chief Imam of Palayam Juma Masjid, Kozhikode, Kerala, while presiding over Inaugural Session, pointed out that our nation and the world need leaders who can think beyond religion, region and politics, and lead with wisdom, compassion and vision.
Mr. Nixon Fernando, Author and Social Activist, from Chennai, spoke about his mission to motivate rural youth to create model villages, that will develop its human and natural resources to become economically self-sufficient and prosperous. Dr. S. K. Singh, Director General of Dharma Bharathi National Institute, Lucknow, spoke about Mahatma Gandhi’s spiritual vision of leadership that motivated the people of India to strive for freedom from the British colonial rule and is relevant in today’s world and Brahmakumari Gitanjali spoke of the spiritual vision of leadership exercised by women-led organisations of Brahmakumaris throughout the world.
The Valedictory Address at the National Seminar was delivered by Bishop Joseph Susainathan of Bangalore Archdiocese and the Chairman of the Commission for Dialogue and Ecumenism of Karnataka Region of Catholic Bishops Conference (KRCBC), spoke on the theme ‘Servant Leadership in the Church and the World’, where he quoted the biblical text of the washing of the feet to articulate Jesus’s vision of leadership defined by love, humility and service.
At the end of the National Seminar, the participants adopted of a plan of action to promote the movement to develop an enlightened leadership in the Church and across the country striving for peace, justice, reconciliation and harmony.
Mr. John Samuel, the Project Coordinator of the Social Harmony Project, introduced the speakers, facilitated the sessions according to the programme schedule and proposed the Vote of Thanks. The National Seminar concluded with all the participants singing the National Anthem.
Fr. Denzil Fernandes SJ