"Jai Hind, Pakistan Zindabad" is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's new mantra for peace

New Delhi: Amid ongoing row over the anti-national sloganeering at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday said that "Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad" should go together for peace and development in the region.

Sri Sri's remarks came at the ongoing three-day World Culture Festival at the Yamuna floodplains soon after Pakistan’s Mufti Muhammad Saeed Khan finished his speech. 

According to a report in the Hindu, the Art of Living founder said, “Jai Hind and Pakistan Zindabad should go together. It will be should be a win-win situation for both sides. We should focus on winning and making the other also win."

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were among the prominent political figures who attended the event on Saturday.

"This is the biggest cultural event happened anywhere in the world ever... Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has made us all proud as he has conveyed the message of Indian heritage and traditions to all over the world," Rajnath Singh said. 

Sushma Swaraj said: "India is lucky as Sri Sri was born here."

"The dais of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a perfect stage of secularism. Spiritual leaders from all the faiths are here. Sri Sri can have such a spiritual conclave anywhere in the world," she said. 

Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh, and Devendra Fadnavis respectively also shared the dais with the spiritual guru.

On the second day, musical troupes and dance groups from several countries including Ghana, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and the Netherlands performed before a huge gathering at the huge seven-acre stage. 

Indian folk and classical dances also enthralled the audience.

The entertainment was coupled with religious teachings from spiritual leaders.