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February 17, 2015 | 13:59 IST
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Cardinal George Alencherry
Archbishop Andrews Thazhath
Archbishop Kuriakose Bharanikulangara
Archbishop Anil Couto
Shri Arun Jaitley,
Dr. Najma Heptulla,
Shri P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha
Monseigneur Sebastian Vadakumpadan
I am delighted to participate in this function to celebrate the elevation to sainthood of two great saints of Kerala - Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Saint Euphresia. The whole country is proud of their recognition. Their elevation was preceded by that of Saint Alphonsa, who also hailed from Kerala.
The life and deeds of Saint Chavara and Saint Euphresia are an inspiration not only to the Christian community, but to humanity as a whole. They are shining examples of dedication to God through selfless service for the betterment of mankind.
Saint Chavara was a man of prayer and also a social reformer. In an era when access to education was limited, he stressed that every church should have a school. He thus opened the doors of education to people from all sections of society.
Few outside Kerala know that he started a Sanskrit school, and also a printing press. His contribution towards women’s empowerment was also noteworthy.
Saint Euphrasia was a mystic who dedicated her life to prayer and devotion to God.
Both these saints dedicated their life to God through service of fellow beings. The ancient Indian saying: “आत्मानो मोक्षार्थम् जगत हितायाचा” – welfare of the world is the way to moksha (salvation) – explains their life.
Friends,
Spiritualism is rooted in India`s heritage. Indian saints and Greek sages had intellectual and spiritual exchanges thousands of years back. India’s openness to new ideas is manifest in the Rig Veda: आनो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतः Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides. This philosophy has guided our intellectual discourse since time immemorial. Mother India gave birth to many religious and spiritual streams. Some of them have even travelled beyond Indian borders.
The tradition of welcoming, respecting and honouring all faiths is as old as India itself. As Swami Vivekananda said: We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.
What Swami Vivekananda had said a century ago holds good and will, for ever, not only for this nation but also for this government or for that matter any government in India, run by any political party. This principle of equal respect and treatment for all faiths has been a part of India`s ethos for thousands of years. And that is how it became integral to the Constitution of India. Our Constitution did not evolve in a vacuum. It has roots in the ancient cultural traditions of India.
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had inspired us to dream of a land where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. It is that heaven of freedom we are duty bound to create and preserve. We believe that there is truth in every religion. एकम सत विप्र बहुधा वदन्ति
Friends,
Let me now come to the issue which is central and critical for peace and harmony in the contemporary world. The world is increasingly witnessing division and hostility on religious lines. This has become a matter of global concern. In this context the ancient Indian plea of mutual respect for all faiths is now beginning to manifest in global discourse.
This long felt need and urge for mutually respectful relations led to the interfaith conference on `Faith in Human Rights` at the Hague on tenth December, 2008. This was coincidentally also the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.
Religious leaders representing every major world religion - Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Baha`i Faith, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism and indigenous religions met, discussed and pledged to uphold the Universal Declaration and of freedom of religion or belief.
In their historic declaration, this is how they defined what constitutes freedom of faith and how it is to be safeguarded.
We consider the freedom to have, to retain, and to adopt, a religion or belief, is a personal choice of a citizen.
The world is at cross roads which, if not crossed properly, can throw us back to the dark days of bigotry, fanaticism and bloodshed. This harmonious convergence among religions could not be achieved even when the world entered the third millennium. And now it has been. This shows that the rest of the world too is evolving along the lines of ancient India.
Speaking for India, and for my government, I declare that my government stands by every word of the above declaration. My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My government will not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions.
India is the land of Buddha and Gandhi. Equal respect for all religions must be in the DNA of every Indian. We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will act strongly in this regard.
With this commitment, I appeal to all religious groups to act with restraint, mutual respect, and tolerance in the true spirit of this ancient nation which is manifest in our Constitution and is in line with the Hague Declaration.
Friends,
I have a vision of a Modern India. I have embarked on a huge mission to convert that vision into reality. My mantra is Development - सबका साथ, सबका विकास.
In simple terms it means food on every table, every child in school, a job for everybody and a house with toilet and electricity for every family. This will make India proud. We can achieve this through unity. Unity strengthens us. Division weakens us. I sincerely request all Indians, and all of you present here to support me in this huge task.
Let the elevation to sainthood of Saint Chavara and Saint Euphrasia, and their noble deeds inspire us:
-to maximize our inner strength
-to use that strength for transforming society through selfless service
-to fulfil our collective vision of a developed and modern India.
The ideals of Sree Narayana Guru are a great treasure for all of humanity: PM Modi
June 24, 2025
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The ideals of Sree Narayana Guru are a great treasure for all of humanity: PM
India has been blessed with remarkable saints, sages and social reformers who have brought about transformative changes in society: PM
Today, by adopting the saturation approach, the country is working to eliminate every possibility of discrimination as envisioned by Sree Narayana Guru: PM
Missions like Skill India are empowering the youth and making them self-reliant: PM
To empower India, we must lead on every front - economic, social and military. Today, the nation is moving forward on this very path: PM
Brahmarishi Swami Sachchidananda Ji, Srimath Swami Shubhanga-Nanda Ji, Swami Sharadananda Ji, all the revered saints, my colleague in the government Shri George Kurian Ji, my colleague in Parliament Shri Adoor Prakash Ji, all other senior dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen.
Today this complex is witnessing an unprecedented event in the history of the country. A historic event that not only gave a new direction to our freedom movement but also gave concrete meaning to the goal of freedom and the dream of an independent India. That meeting of Sre Narayan Guru and Mahatma Gandhi 100 years ago is equally inspiring and relevant even today. That meeting which took place 100 years ago, remains a great source of energy for social harmony and for the collective goals of a developed India even today. On this historic occasion, I bow down to the feet of Sree Narayan Guru. I also pay my tribute to Gandhiji.
Brothers and sisters,
The ideals of Sree Narayan Guru are a great asset for the entire humanity. Sree Narayana Guru is like a lighthouse for those who work with the resolve to serve the country and society. You all know what kind of relationship I have with the exploited, oppressed and deprived sections of the society. And that is why even today, whenever I take big decisions for the oppressed and deprived section of the society, I definitely remember Gurudev. The social conditions of 100 years ago, the distortions that came about due to centuries of slavery, people were afraid to speak against those evils in those times. But Sree Narayan Guru did not care about the opposition, he was not afraid of difficulties, because he believed in harmony and equality. He believed in truth, service and harmony. This inspiration shows us the path of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'. This belief gives us the strength to build an India where the person standing at the last rung is our first priority.
Friends,
The people and saints associated with the Shivagiri Math also know how much faith I have in Sree Narayan Guru and the Shivagiri Math. I was not able to understand the language, but the things that Pujya Sachchidananda ji was telling, he was remembering all the old things. And I was also seeing that you were getting very emotional and connecting with him on all those things. And I am fortunate that the revered saints of the Math have always given me their affection. I remember, in 2013, when I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, when natural calamity struck Kedarnath, many revered saints of Shivagiri Math were stuck there, some devotees were also stuck. Shivagiri Math did not contact the Indian government for the safe evacuation of people trapped there. Prakash Ji, don't mind. I was the Chief Minister of a state, Shivagiri Math ordered me and trusted this servant to do this work. And by the grace of God, I was able to bring all the saints and devotees safely.
Friends,
Anyway, in difficult times, our first attention goes towards that which we consider our own, on which we feel we have a right. And I am happy that you consider me your own. What could be more spiritually pleasing to me than this closeness with the saints of Shivagiri Math?
Friends,
I also have a relationship with all of you through Kashi. Varkala has also been known as Kashi of the South for centuries. And whether the Kashi is of the North or the South, for me every Kashi is my Kashi.
Friends,
I have had the good fortune of knowing and living closely the spiritual tradition of India, the legacy of its sages and saints. It is the specialty of India that whenever our country gets caught in the whirlpool of problems, some great personality is born in some corner of the country and shows a new direction to the society. Some work for the spiritual upliftment of the society. Some give impetus to social reforms in the social sector. Sree Narayan Guru was one such great saint. His works like ‘निवृत्ति पंचकम्’and ‘आत्मोपदेश शतकम्’ are like a guide for any student of Advaita and spirituality.
Friends,
Yoga and Vedanta, Sadhana and Mukti were the main subjects of Sree Narayan Guru. But he knew that the spiritual upliftment of a society trapped in evil practices would be possible only through its social upliftment. Therefore, he made spirituality a medium of social reform and social welfare. And Gandhiji also got inspiration from such efforts of Sree Narayan Guru and took guidance from him. Scholars like Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore also benefited from discussions with Sree Narayan Guru.
Friends,
Once someone recited Sree Narayan Guru's आत्मोपदेश शतकम् to Ramana Maharishi. After listening to it, Ramana Maharishi said- "अवर एल्लाम तेरीन्जवर"। That means- He knows everything! And at a time when conspiracies were being hatched to degrade Indian civilisation, culture and philosophy under the influence of foreign ideas, Sree Narayan Guru made us realise that the fault was not in our original tradition. We need to imbibe our spirituality in the true sense. We are people who see SreeNarayan in human, Shiva in living beings. We see non-duality in duality. We see non-difference even in difference. We see unity even in diversity.
Friends,
You all know that Sree Narayan Guru's mantra was- “ओरु जाति, ओरु मतम्, ओरु दैवम्, मनुष्यनु।” That is, unity of entire humanity, unity of all living beings! This idea is the root of India's life culture, its foundation. Today India is expanding that idea with the spirit of global welfare. You see, just recently we celebrated International Yoga Day. This time the theme of Yoga Day was- Yoga for One Earth, One Health. That is, one earth, one health! Even before this, India has started initiatives like One World, One Health for global welfare. Today, India is also leading global movements like One Sun, One Earth, One Grid in the direction of sustainable development. You will remember, when India hosted the G-20 Summit in 2023, we had kept its theme as "One Earth, One Family, One Future". The spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' is associated with these efforts of ours. The inspiration of saints like Sree Narayan Guru is associated with it.
Friends,
Sree Narayan Guru had envisioned a society that is free from discrimination! I am satisfied that today the country is following a saturation approach and eliminating every scope for discrimination. But remember the situation 10-11 years ago, what kind of life were crores of countrymen forced to live even after so many decades of independence? Crores of families did not even have a roof over their heads! There was no clean drinking water in lakhs of villages, there was no option to get treatment even for minor illnesses, if a serious disease occurred, there was no way to save life, crores of poor, Dalit, tribal, women were deprived of basic human dignity! And, these crores of people were living in such difficulties for so many generations that even the hope of a better life had died in their minds. How could the country progress when such a large population of the country was in such pain and despair? And so, we first instilled sensitivity into the government's thinking! We made service our resolution! As a result of this, we have been able to provide concrete houses to crores of poor-Dalit-suffering-exploited-deprived families under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Our goal is to give every poor person his permanent house. And this house is not just a structure made of brick and cement, it embodies the concept of a house and has all the essential facilities. We don't provide a building with four walls; we provide a home that transforms dreams into resolutions. That is why every facility like gas, electricity, toilet is being ensured in the houses under PM Awas Yojana. Water is being supplied to every house under Jal Jeevan Mission. In such tribal areas, where the government never reached, today the guarantee of development is reaching there. Among the tribals, especially the most backward tribals, we have started PM JanMan Yojana for them. Due to this, the image of many areas is changing today. The result of this is that new hope has arisen even in the person standing at the last rung of the society. He is not only changing his life, but he is also seeing his strong role in nation building.
Friends,
Sree Narayan Guru had always emphasized on women empowerment. Our government is also moving ahead with the mantra of Women Led Development. Even after so many years of independence, there were many areas in our country where entry of women was banned. We removed these restrictions, women got rights in new areas, today daughters are bringing glory to the country in every field from sports to space. Today every section, every class of the society is contributing with confidence to the dream of a developed India. Campaigns like Swachh Bharat Mission, environment related campaigns, construction of Amrit Sarovar, awareness campaigns about millets, we are moving ahead with the spirit of public participation, we are moving ahead with the strength of 140 crore countrymen.
Friends,
Sree Narayan Guru used to say- विद्या कोंड प्रब्बुद्धर आवुका संगठना कोंड शक्तर आवुका, प्रयत्नम कोंड संपन्नार आवुका"। That is, "Enlightenment through education, Strength through organization, Prosperity through industry". He himself laid the foundation of important institutions to realize this vision. Guruji established Sharada Math in Shivagiri itself. This Math, dedicated to Maa Sarasvati, gives the message that education will be the medium of upliftment and liberation for the deprived. I am happy that those efforts of Gurudev are continuously expanding even today. Gurudev Centers and Sri Narayan Cultural Mission are working for the welfare of humanity in many cities of the country.
Friends,
Today we can see the clear imprint of this vision of social welfare through education, organization and industrial progress in the policies and decisions of the country. After so many decades, we have implemented a new National Education Policy in the country. The new education policy not only makes education modern and inclusive, but also promotes studying in mother tongue. The backward and deprived sections are getting the biggest benefit from this.
Friends,
In the last decade, we have opened so many new IITs, IIMs, AIIMS in the country, as many were not opened in the last 60 years after independence. Due to this, new opportunities have opened up for poor and deprived youth in higher education. In the last 10 years, more than 400 Eklavya residential schools have been opened in tribal areas. The children of tribal communities who were deprived of education for many generations are now moving ahead.
Brothers and sisters,
We have directly linked education to skills and opportunities. Missions like Skill India are making the youth of the country self-reliant. The country's industrial progress, major reforms in the private sector, Mudra Yojana, Standup Yojana, all these are benefiting the Dalit, backward and tribal communities the most.
Friends,
Sree Narayana Guru wanted a strong India. For the empowerment of India, we have to be ahead in every aspect, economic, social and defence. Today the country is moving on this path. India is rapidly moving towards becoming the world's third largest economy. Recently the world has also seen what India is capable of. Operation Sindoor has made India's tough policy against terrorism absolutely clear to the world. We have shown that no place is safe for terrorists who shed the blood of Indians.
Friends,
Today's India takes steps according to whatever is possible and right in the national interest. Today, India's dependence on foreign countries for military needs is also constantly decreasing. We are becoming self-reliant in the defence sector. And we have seen its effect during Operation Sindoor as well. Our forces forced the enemy to surrender in 22 minutes with weapons made in India. I am confident that in the times to come, made in India weapons will be famous all over the world.
Friends,
To fulfil the resolutions of the country, we have to spread the teachings of Sree Narayan Guru to the masses. Our government is also working actively in this direction. We are connecting the pilgrimage places associated with the life of Sree Narayana Guru by creating Shivagiri Circuit. I am confident that his blessings and teachings will continue to guide the nation in our journey towards Amritkaal. Together, we will fulfil the dream of a developed India. With the wish that the blessings of Sree Narayana Guru may remain upon all of us, I once again bow to all the saints of Shivagiri Math. Thank you very much to all of you! Namaskaram!
