Extolling the greatness of Indian culture and traditions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the values of sacrifice, integration and a wish for good-for-all run deep in the Indian way of life. “We belong to a tradition where even a ‘bhikshuk’ (beggar) says, ‘may good happen to the person who gives me and also to the person who does not’,” Modi said in his address at the International Convention on Universal Message of Simhastha on the sidelines of the Kumbh mela at Ninhora in Ujjain.
“We are not stubborn and rigid, we are philosophical. We see divinity in the tree and life in water,” he told the concluding session of the three-day Vichar Mahakumbh, organised on the sidelines of the event to discuss issues like global warming, hazards of chemical farming and benefits of organic one and women empowerment among others.
Warning that global warming and terrorism have become the world’s biggest concerns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said shedding the “holier-than-thou” attitude is the key to overcoming these issues and resolving conflicts. “World’s biggest concerns are global warming and terrorism... The holier-than-thou attitude apparently is behind them,” Modi said addressing the veledictory session of the three-day international conference on “living the Right Way” on the sidelines of Simhastha-Kumbh mela in Ujjain.
“The world is passing through two types of crises. On the one hand there is global warming, on the other there is terrorism. What is the solutionIJ What is behind their genesis...Simply holier-than-thou attitude or (the thinking) that my way is more correct than yours. This is the thing which is dragging us towards conflict,” he said.
Strongly opposing attempts at expansionism, he said this was not a solution to the problems. “Expansionism is another thing that is leading us towards conflict. Time has changed. Expansionism is not a solution to the problems. We should not go horizontal. It is not a solution. We need to go vertical and raise ourselves from within,” Modi said.
The PM also released 51-point ‘Simhastha Declaration’ jointly with Sri lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan. President Sirisena, who spoke earlier, referred to the long-standing ties between India and Sri lanka.
Sirisena said that his first overseas visit after being elected President last year was to India, and that Modi reciprocated with his visit later.
Modi said one of the major issues faced by the world is conflict management but the Indians know how to resolve the conflict and cited mythology to underscore his point.
“But we (Indians) inherit conflict management skills ..Indians worship lord Ram for his obedience and loyalty to his father and in the same breath glorify Prahlad who disobeyed his father. The same way Sita and Mira are also worshiped, which shows that people here are well adept at conflict management,” he said, adding what the world was doing today, Indians have been practising for ages.
“World Earth Day is observed (globally). In India, when a child wakes up in the morning, his or her mother asks them to seek forgiveness from the earth before putting the foot down on the ground,” Modi added.
Modi said the Declaration, referred to as “Amrit Bindu”, was a result of concerted efforts over two years during which experts deliberated on various issues. “If all these powers, including saints and those working selflessly for the society, walk in a single direction then they can bring a major change in the society, and in that, these 51-points, in the days to come will play a major role, especially for people of India and the world,” Modi said.
Emphasising that Indians were always ready to sacrifice for the sake of others, Modi cited the example of lPG subsidy. “I just once asked my people those who are well off to give up their lPG subsidy. And more than one crore people have already given it up, so that thousands of poor families can get lPG connection,” Modi said.
The PM said that this move will also protect environment (by avoiding cutting of trees) and check global warming. A woman inhales smoke of 400 cigarettes a day while cooking food by wood. Empowering them with cooking gas cylinders will improve their lot.
Speaking of the arrangements, including connectivity, for hundreds of thousands of devotees, Modi said that Kumbh management is a great case study for world institutions.
In an apparent reference to the US presidential polls underway, he said that candidates running elections in developed countries were fighting on the plank of family values. “They were giving pre-eminence to family values in their campaign (now),” he added.
Whereas in India, when a child is born, he or she is from the beginning itself brought up with certain values and principles.
Simhastha Kumbh Mela is one of world’s largest spirtual gatherings held once in 12 years when lakhs of devotees, including hundreds of sadhus, take dip in river Kishipra.