Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off year-long celebrations to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of social reformer and Arya Samaj founder Dayanand Saraswati in Delhi on Sunday.
“India is expressing pride over its legacy with tremendous self-respect and is asserting that it will strengthen its traditions while ushering in modernity,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the inauguration.
PM Modi also said that there is no discrimination when it comes to the country’s policies and efforts. He added that the main aim of the government is to serve the poor, the backwards and the deprived on priority.
During the ceremony, the prime minister also unveiled the logo for the birth anniversary celebrations.
Modi’s ‘Virasat’ and ‘Vikas’ Pitch
Prime Minister Modi hailed India and said the country is showing the way to the world in the field of environment protection. He also said it was a matter of pride that India was chairing the G20 this year.
“The country today with tremendous self-respect is expressing pride over its legacy. The country is saying with full self-confidence that we will strengthen our traditions while ushering in modernity,” Modi said.
The country is running on the tracks of ‘virasat (heritage)’ and ‘vikas (development)’, the prime minister added.
Tribute to Dayanand Saraswati
Prime Minister Modi paid tribute to Dayanand Saraswati. He said that when he talks of walking on the ‘kartavya path’, some people say that he talks about duties but not rights.
“If this is the case with me in the 21st century then imagine 150-years-ago what kind of difficulties Swami Dayanand would have faced in showing the path to society,” he said.
“The path shown by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati instills hope in crores of people,” he said.
Modi also called the occasion historic and said it was an inspiration for the future of humanity. Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati became a voice for the empowerment of India’s women and launched a strong campaign against social discrimination and untouchability, he said.
“Today the daughters of the country are taking on major roles from being deployed in Siachen to flying Rafale fighter planes,” Modi said.
‘Historic’ Contributions
In a statement the Prime Minister’s office said, Born in 1824, Saraswati worked to counter the then prevalent social inequities. Arya Samaj has played a key role in cultural and social awakening of the country by its emphasis on social reforms and education.
“The government has been committed to celebrating social reformers and important personalities, especially those whose contributions were not given their due yet on a pan-India scale,” the statement added.
The PMO said that from declaring the birth anniversary of Birsa Muda as the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to participating in a programme commemorating Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary, the Prime Minister has been leading such initiatives from the front.
(With PTI Inputs)
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