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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched a scathing attack on previous governments, stating that India attained political freedom in 1947, but not cultural freedom.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Ramayana- One Epic Many Stories: Ram Katha across Bharat & beyond, a three day conclave in Kochi, Keralam, Singh underlined that Indias development journey is not limited to economic growth, but also involves strengthening national confidence and moving beyond the colonial mindset. Highlighting the importance of civilisational and cultural heritage, he stated that the countrys modernisation should go hand-in-hand with an appreciation of its cultural traditions. Sarva Dharma Samabhava or equal respect for all faiths has always been at the heart of our civilisational ethos. And yet, because of Western secularism, our Dharma was made to appear as communalism, tradition as backwardness, belief as fanaticism, and faith as superstition, he added. Rajnath Singh emphasised the importance of making the younger generation more aware of Indias history, culture and heritage. Greater awareness among youth, he said, would contribute to stronger national consciousness and help build confidence in Indias place in the world. He called upon the youth to contribute to Indias economic, social and technological transformation, saying that a confident, capable and socially inclusive India can emerge as a developed nation and play a greater role in shaping the future of the world. Questioning the delay in the construction of the Ram Temple, Singh said, "After independence, it was said that India's lost culture would be promoted, but who symbolises India's soul more than Lord Ram? Then why did it take 7 decades after independence for the Ram Temple to be built? This happened due to appeasement. This mindset is not in line with the Indian perspective at all." Rajnath Singh noted that India has become a source of hope for the world as it has achieved several targets set to fight climate change ahead of schedule, and provided free vaccines to the people in the country & sent more than 300 million vaccines to 100 countries during COVID-19. He stressed that India has emerged as a civilisational leader as today the world celebrates International Yoga Day. India is now providing leadership to the world through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance, he added. Raksha Mantri added that guided by the virtue of compassion, the Government is working to improve the lives of the people, pointing out that over the past 10 to 12 years, more than 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty. He also stated that whether it is the success of Indias democracy or the success of its welfare schemes, India today serves as a source of inspiration to the world. He spoke about UPI, which is the worlds largest real-time payment system, and has been adopted by more than 11 countries. He mentioned the schemes such as PM SHRI, Ayushman Bharat, Lakhpati Didi, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Ujjwala Yojana, which have made development more inclusive. (ANI)
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