New Delhi, June 4 -- When some American students from Minnesota staying with us told me that one of their subjects was 'Peace Studies', I lost no time in telling them that at Chicago, a Hindu monk from Kolkata, Swami Vivekananda (1863 - 1902) had created a sensation at the World Parliament of Religions held there in September 1893 by stating "We Hindus believe that all religions are true". I told them that if this statement, along with the fundamentally important principle of democracy "Let us agree to differ", were understood, appreciated and seriously followed, the whole world would be a better place to live in.

Noticing their interest in Swami Vivekananda, I told them more: that serious thoughts and concern about the need for peace, a...