Constitute committee, MSS tells government

CHENNAI: Nuclear deterrence is a growing concern across the world and it is essential that we spread awareness on the consequences of nuclear war, said Prof MS Swaminathan, agriculture scientist and founder of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. Speaking on the Koodankulam issue at an event in the city, Prof Swaminathan said the government should constitute a committee to look into the problems of the villagers near the reactor. It was the duty of the government to appoint a committee spearheaded by a ‘responsible person’ from the society. People will have faith in the government only when a well acclaimed person heads the committee.Prof Swaminathan also underlined the importance of modern scientists to consider the human impact of every discovery and its future implications. They should be ready to defend humanity when it comes to it. He was addressing a seminar on “Towards a world of Dignity for all: The triumph of the creative life” organised by Soka Gakkai International, a peace and Buddhist spiritual movement based on the teachings of Nichiren, a Buddhist monk who lived during the early 13th century.Prof LS Ganesh from the Department of Management of IIT-Madras said that there was a greater need for a spiritual and philosophical touch to the concept of freewill and dignity. Quoting from the Bhagavad Gita, he said that one could triumph when he or she started to fight with one’s own conscience.Nikolay Listopadov, Consul General of Russian Federation, said Russia had a very non-complicated usual life during the Soviet days but after the collapse, Russia adopted market economy leading to huge gaps in society and spiritual life. People across the world had gone after a profit-oriented life leaving behind the moral and spiritual values of life.The Consul General appreciated the Japanese people for not losing their dignity even in adverse situations such as the recent earthquake and tsunami. He said the people had understood the harsh realities of life and the effort taken by the Japanese to overcome the disaster and live with dignity marked a proud moment.