2,000 Lawyers and Judges Gather for Seminar at Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar in Ahmedabad

A one-day seminar was organized on 24 December for members of the legal fraternity as a part of the centenary birth celebrations of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Ahmedabad, in partnership with the Bar Council of Gujarat.

The conference was led by a panel of high-calibre speakers, including Honourable Justice M.R. Shah (Judge, Supreme Court of India), Senior Advocate Kamal Trivedi (Advocate General of Gujarat), Senior Advocate S.V. Raju (Additional Solicitor General of India), Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra (Chairman, Bar Council of India), and Anirudh Sinh Zala (Chairman, Bar Council of Gujarat).

In his inaugural welcome address, Anirudh Sinh Zala, Chairman of the Bar Council of Gujarat, said, “The Swaminarayan sampraday takes care of people and provides them with a platform for progress. ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar’ is magnificently organized and is an exemplar of cleanliness.” He requested his fellow lawyers to not only visit the Nagar, but also imbibe the lessons from the various exhibitions.

Senior Advocate Kamal Trivedi, Advocate General of Gujarat, said, “At this moment, one can witness unity in diversity as different legal luminaries from the Supreme Court, the High Court of Gujarat, Bar Council of India and Bar Council of Gujarat are present today under the roof of this conference premises.”

He also reminisced asking a question to Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2002 in Ahmedabad on the amount of time a person should spend on puja. Pramukh Swami Maharaj replied, “If you sincerely perform your work, it is akin to performing worship.”

Supreme Court Judge Honourable Justice M.R. Shah shared, “On meeting Pramukh Swami Maharaj in 2004, I realized one should lead a disciplined life. We should follow in the footsteps of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and imbibe the virtues of discipline, selfless service and generosity in our profession.”

Appreciating the values of ethics and duty from Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s life, he requested the young lawyers to work with ultimate devotion while being connected to one’s roots.

Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Bar Council of India spoke about professional ethics. “Today we are all obliged to Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Our profession is centred on dharma, our duty to fight for justice for our clients, our society and our country. If we follow proper dharma, we will be successful.” Awestruck by the grandeur of ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar’, he offered to organize a similar legal seminar by the Bar Council of India at Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi.

Senior Advocate SV Raju, Ld. Additional Solicitor General of India threw light on the legal essentials of arrest, bail and requirements to be followed when adducing electronic evidence before the Court.

The final session concluded with a thought-provoking talk by renowned spiritual motivational speaker of BAPS, Gyanvatsaldas Swami, on ‘Think Beyond Responsibilities’. He said, “We believe our responsibilities to be limited by our profession. However, one should live a life beyond professional boundaries and contribute to humanity and society. We should imbibe ethics and discipline in our life and set an example for others. Lost money can be recovered, but not lost reputation. Our wrongdoings have a boomerang effect as they cannot be hid in a round world that is without any corners.”

All the delegates were given a guided tour of ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Nagar’ where they learned about Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s inspiring life and worldwide contributions for humanity through the various attractions and exhibitions.

This seminar was the seventh in a series of 14 such conferences for professionals of various fields, including doctors, realtors, industrialists, technocrats and entrepreneurs. It is a testament to the progressive mindset of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, whose work and teachings touched people from all walks of life, to ensure the holistic success and happiness of everyone in society.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was an exemplary spiritual leader who personified his universal teaching, ‘In the joy of others lies our own’. The culmination of his centenary anniversary is being celebrated through a month-long festival on a 600-acre site off the SP Ring Road in Ahmedabad made possible by the selfless service of more than 80,000 volunteers inspired by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual successor of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.