Panel discussions, nature walks, and cultural performances held at Agassaim
The Sadbhav Mahotsav celebrated with harmony, brotherhood, and community at St Lawrence High School Hall, Agassaim.
PANAJI
Sadbhav Mahotsav, the annual harvest festival, was celebrated with harmony, brotherhood, and community at St Lawrence High School Hall, Agassaim, on September 20.
The highlight of the festival was the Interfaith Panel discussion on the theme ‘Sowing Harmony – Faiths United Through Farming’.
The panel discussion was moderated by Neville Alphonso, former director of agriculture, featuring panellists Santosh Dessai, Maaz Sheikh, and Cleto Fernandes, representing Hindu, Muslim, and Christian faiths.
The panel explored questions such as challenges faced by farmers and how faith helps them cope with such difficulties; how faith encourages them to care for the environment while farming; the challenges faced in balancing faith values with the demands of modern farming practices; how religious practices influence everyday decisions on the farm; and how faith teaches them about community and sharing. The discussion concluded with an open interaction with the audience.
The day began with an interactive session with Goa College of Agriculture Assistant Professor Dr Shreyas Jadhav, who engaged over a hundred high school students from six schools on the challenges faced by farmers.
He encouraged them to seek innovative solutions, explore careers in agricultural sciences, and remain rooted in their communities by supporting the farmers around them.
Later, these students participated in an experiential nature walk facilitated by Tallula D’Silva, Ahana, and their team, exploring the landscape of Agassaim. They collected seeds, weeds, and leaves to create mandala art and shared their learnings through group presentations, reflecting on the significance of farming and ecological balance.
In the afternoon, farmers, villagers, and students from Fr Agnel HSS (Pilar), Vassant Kukalekar HSS (Old Goa), Fr Agnel College (Pilar), and Goa Agriculture College (Old Goa) took part in a community lunch prepared by villagers of the seven village panchayats.
After lunch, seminarians of Pilar Seminary presented a skit, ‘Different Paths, One Goal: Peace and Harmony’. Nitee Priolkar and Pooja Chodankar from Fr Agnel HSS presented monologues on fishing and farming, while students of Fr Agnel College performed a folk dance. Two oldest farmers from each of the seven participating village panchayats were honoured for their lifelong contributions to farming.
