Balmiki Prasad Singh

Who is Balmiki Prasad Singh?

Balmiki Prasad Singh was the 14th Governor of Sikkim, India. He is a scholar, thinker and public servant and has written several books and articles. He was born on January 1, 1942 in Begusarai, Bihar. Among his prominent books are Bahudha and the post 9/11 World and The problem of change: a study of North East India.

He presided over the four-day Global Buddhist Conference that began on Sunday with the chanting of prayers to mark the 2,600th year of Buddha's enlightenment. Around 1,000 Buddhist scholars, thinkers and followers from over 30 countries assembled at convention hall in Ashoka Hotel on day one of the conference.

B.P. Singh is well known as the author of the Bahudha Approach, which outlines a path towards a harmonious world, as against the clash of civilizations. He writes:

Pluralism could be the closest equivalent to Bahudha in the English language. But Bahudha is more than pluralism. For, the Bahudha approach is both a celebration of diversity and an attitude of mind that respects another person's point of view. Dialogue is central to this approach.