One Stage, Two Years, A World of Difference: Reflections from our Student Moderator
Returning to the stage for the 11th International Interfaith Conference was a moment of deep reflection for me. Last year, as a first-time moderator, I was battling anxiety while trying to speak in front of hundreds of people, initiating discussions. This year felt different.
Stepping back into the auditorium for the event hosted by CMS Rajajipuram II, based on the important theme of “Reimagining Our World Together: Placing Gender Equality at the Heart of Humanity”, I felt a grounded sense of confidence and purpose. I wasn’t just moderating a panel; I was facilitating a vital dialogue on the ‘Ethical Foundations of Gender Equality’.
I began Panel Session Round 3 with a thought experiment that brought the audience in the room very quiet –
“If Adam picked the apple, there would be a parade, a celebration, a holiday to commemorate the day he sought enlightenment… But it was Eve who grew tired of her captivity in Eden. And a woman’s desire for freedom is rarely a cause for celebration.”
In that initial silence, I could feel the audience absorbing the weight of those words. I looked out at a room filled with leaders, teachers, founders & students and spoke about the true contradictions of our modern world. There are places where a female cat sitting on a stoop enjoys more basic freedom than a young girl.
One of the important thoughts that I highlighted in my speech was, “True feminism isn’t about letting a woman be what a man can be, but letting a woman be whatever she wants to be. It is about giving her the absolute freedom to be whatever she chooses to be.”
I was honoured to share the stage with a distinguished panel representing diverse faith traditions and leadership backgrounds: Maulana Muhammad Ajazur Rahman Shaheen Qasmi, Marazban Nariman Zaiwalla, Rev. Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Jagadguru Swami Satishacharya Ji Maharaj, Mahant Shri Shivrupanand Swamiji, and Dr Rabbi Ezekiel Isaac Malekar.
Although our panellists came from vastly different spiritual walks, an incredible unity emerged as the discussion progressed. Across scriptures, traditions, and philosophy, every single panellist agreed on one core truth, and that is “right education of morals and religious teaching is a great path for gender equality.”
Whether we were discussing the Prophet’s emphasis on kindness, the Zoroastrian principle of “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds” that could be applied to modern AI, the Buddhist practice of mindfulness to counter societal pressure, or scripture viewing women as “Shakti”, the solution always pointed back to learning. Equality cannot just remain a sacred concept worshipped in temples or written in texts; it must be actively taught in our classrooms and practised in our everyday actions.
Due to time constraints, we couldn’t take live questions from the audience. However, the engagement didn’t end when the session wrapped up. The quiet attentiveness from the beginning transformed into a big round of applause as I concluded with a few lines of poetry:
“Jise kamzor samjha gaya, voh itihas likh gayi,
Jise chaukhat tak bandha gaya, voh aakash likh gayi…
Aur jise pure samaj ne dabana chaha, voh beti aaj puree vishwa ki shan baan gayi.”
Interacting with the panellists and the audience after stepping off the stage gave me some of the most insightful lessons of the day. Speaking informally with these esteemed leaders reinforced that real leadership begins with listening and having the courage to challenge outdated norms.
Standing there as a representative of City Montessori School and its core philosophy ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The World is One Family), I realised how much I had grown since last year. I left the conference hall not just as a student moderator but as someone committed to taking these ethical foundations into the world. If faith can bridge our differences and point us toward true equality, then it is up to our generation to turn those principles into everyday reality.
Blog authored by:
Mr Aditya Tripathi,
CMS alumnus and Moderator for the Panel Discussion on ‘Ethical Foundations of Gender Equality’ at the 11th International Interfaith Conference
