The City of Joy on Sunday experienced a different Narendra Modi, brimming with transcendental thoughts, as he dwelt on how the Indian spiritual ethos had a huge impact on the freedom struggle and the great social renaissance.
Here at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, more than a thousand strong listeners saw how “metaphysics began where physics ended” and also how metaphysics had a great impact on evolution of physics even as the Prime Minister spoke movingly on the greatness of Indian spiritualism.
Speaking eloquently on the Bhakti and reformist movements and their import in the Indian social reawakening the Prime Minister said the Indian freedom movement was greatly indebted to the Bhakti movement of the previous centuries. “Among other things the Bhakti movement created the background of the Independence movement. It endowed the freedom fighters not only with the inner strength but also the openness of mind,” he said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at hundredth centenary celebrations of the Gaudiya Math. “From Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Ballabheswhwar all the Bhakti saints kept the current of Indian spiritualism flowing so that in future our spiritual might provided the impetus needed for a sustained movement for freedom.”
Underscoring the depth and strength of the Indian spiritualism he said even repeated onslaughts from outside had not been able to erase the Indian culture. “India and its culture stands tall despite repeated external aggression” he said.