The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today emphasized the combination of wisdom (Saraswati) and prosperity (Lakshmi) as the key to India's progress. Speaking after the presentation of the 50th Jnanpeeth Award to Prof. Bhalchandra Nemade, the Prime Minister said creative writing has the capacity to touch lives of several generations. He reiterated that solutions to the problems of global warming and climate change, which the world is debating today, can be found in the Vedas.
Praising the writing of Prof. Bhalchandra Nemade, the Prime Minister compared his views with those of Shri Aurobindo. He said the works of Prof. Nemade will inspire several generations. The Prime Minister emphasized that literature is extremely important in the current age of technology.
The Prime Minister regretted the declining interest in books and reading. He said people must ensure a special place for books in their homes. He recalled the "Vaanche Gujarat" (Read Gujarat) initiative that he had launched when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
