Indian guru Ravi Shankar, fresh from helping broker peace in Colombia, offers aid to heal schisms in Hong Kong society

An Indian spiritual guru whose mediation was credited with helping to bring about a ceasefire in Colombia has offered his services to post-Occupy Hong Kong.

Ravi Shankar, who negotiated with Colombian guerillas during peace talks in Cuba in June that brought about a unilateral ceasefire last month in a 50-year armed conflict, said communication was vital.

For his efforts in the Colombian conflict, authorities gave him the country's highest civilian award, an achievement Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognised when congratulating the 59-year-old spiritual leader for "his noble efforts" in creating "a major impact globally".

"When I first met with the [Colombian] president, the meeting was supposed to be 10 minutes and it ended up being over an hour," Shankar recalled. He added that the president was not hopeful about the peace process.

He said he went to Cuba to meet opposition forces, asking what they had achieved throughout the years. He focused on their desire for social justice and prosperity for the people.