PM inaugurates Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s 200th Jayanti celebrations in New Delhi
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 11th Feb. Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s 200th birthday was celebrated with a year-long celebration that was officially opened at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium today by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He commemorated by releasing a logo as well. The Prime Minister presented Ahuti Arpan in the ongoing Yagya and passed by the panorama and live depictions of Arya Samaj upon arriving at the location. As a symbolic continuation of the spark ignited in this program, he later gave the LED Mashal to youth representatives, reiterating Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati’s teachings to the rest of India and the world.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the government has chosen to commemorate Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s 200th birthday and that the auspicious occasion will be observed for two years. The Prime Minister gave insight into the ongoing practice for the betterment of humanity and conveyed gratitude for the opportunity to provide Ahuti Arpan during the current Yagya. In his speech, the Prime Minister emphasized the significance of Maharshi Dayananda’s ideals and the blessing of having been born in the same country as Swami Ji.
The Prime Minister recalled the state of India at the time of Dayanand Saraswati’s birth, stating that the country was weakened and tarnished by centuries of slavery and was also losing its allure and self-assurance. He went back to all the attempts that were made to destroy India’s roots, culture, and ideals. Swami ji refuted the idea that there is anything lacking in Indian customs and scriptures, pointing out that people tend to forget their true significance. The Prime Minister recalled a period when Maharshi Dayanand’s efforts were crucial in saving India during a period when the wrong interpretation of the Vedas was being used to denigrate the country and distort its traditions. Maharshi Ji launched a vigorous campaign to combat social evils such as untouchability and discrimination. In order to highlight the magnitude of Maharshi’s work during his lifetime, Shri Modi referenced the responses to his emphasis on duty as a challenge in the twenty-first century.
The Prime Minister stated, “Evils that were wrongly attributed to religion, Swami Ji removed them with the light of religion itself.” According to the Prime Minister, Mahatma Gandhi thought that Swamiji’s greatest contribution was his struggle against untouchability. The Prime Minister emphasized that Maharishi Dayanand ji also became a rational and powerful voice against the stereotypes of women that had grown prevalent in society. He emphasized that these facts date back more than 150 years and stated that Maharishi Dayanand ji strongly opposed discrimination against women and also started campaigns for women’s education. The Prime Minister stated that although there are still societies that deny women the right to an education and respect, Maharishi Dayanand was the one who spoke out when equal rights for women were still unheard of, even in western nations.
The Prime Minister underlined how extraordinary Maharishi Ji’s accomplishments and efforts were. He claimed that the spirit and respect that the people still had for him 200 years after his birth and 150 years after Arya Samaj’s death demonstrated his significant role in the nation’s history. “A sacred inspiration has arrived in the Amrit Kaal on the 200th anniversary of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati’s birth,” he continued.
According to Shri Modi, the nation is confidently adhering to Swamiji’s teachings. The Prime Minister remarked, “Today the country is confidently calling for ‘pride in our heritage,'” alluding to Swamiji’s call for a “Back to Vedas.” He also noted the confidence of the Indian people to forge ahead with modernity while simultaneously enhancing their culture and traditions.
The prime minister talked extensively about how religion in India is a way of life that encompasses more than just rituals. The Prime Minister declared, “For us, religion is first and foremost about duty.” The Prime Minister stated that Swami ji adopted an all-encompassing and holistic strategy, taking on accountability and leadership roles in numerous facets of the country’s existence. The Prime Minister went on to discuss the sages’ and saints’ greater significance in Indian culture by citing the contributions made by Indian sages to the fields of philosophy, yoga, mathematics, policy, diplomacy, science, and medicine. The Prime Minister went on to say that Swami ji was instrumental in bringing that age-old custom back to life.
The Prime Minister reflected on Maharishi Dayanand’s teachings and mentioned the different organizations he founded in his lifetime. Despite living with a revolutionary ideology, the Prime Minister emphasized how Maharishi institutionalized all of his ideas to create a number of organizations that have actively pursued various welfare work in various sectors for decades. Maharishi also connected all of his ideas with order. Using the Paropkarini Sabha as an example, the Prime Minister stated that the group was founded by Maharishi himself and that it currently uses publications and Gurukuls as channels for promoting Vedic traditions. He also mentioned the various youth whose lives have been influenced by Kurukshetra Gurukul, Swami Shraddhanand Trust, and Maharishi Dayanand Trust. The Prime Minister also emphasized that Maharishi Ji’s ideals served as inspiration for the Jeevan Prabhat Trust and acknowledged the organization’s noteworthy contributions to social service and rescue efforts during Gujarat’s 2001 earthquake.
The Prime Minister emphasized that non-discriminatory policies and initiatives, which were also a top concern for Swami Ji, are helping the nation advance.
“The first yagya for the country today is the service of the poor, backward, and oppressed.” In support of this, he mentioned housing, healthcare, and women’s empowerment. The New Education Policy emphasizes Indianness as taught by Swami ji while promoting modern education.
The Prime Minister repeated the definition of a realized person given by Swami Ji: a person who gives more than they take. This is pertinent to many areas, including the environment. The Prime Minister stated that Swami ji had a profound understanding of this Vedic knowledge. The Prime Minister declared, “Maharishi ji was a student of Vedas and a saint of Gyan Marg.” In the global race for sustainable development, India is in the lead.
The Prime Minister stated that the environment is being pushed as a special G20 agenda item and cited Mission LiFE in support of this claim. The Prime Minister stated that by supporting these contemporary ideas with the basis of age-old knowledge, Arya Samaj can play a significant role. He requested that they promote natural farming. The Prime Minister also spoke about the effort to support Shri Anna.
The Prime Minister told the tale of an English officer who visited Maharishi and asked him to pray for ongoing British rule in India, to which Maharishi boldly replied, “Independence is my soul and the voice of India,” underscoring the many lessons to be learned from the Maharishi’s character. The Prime Minister cited Lokmanya Tilak, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Veer Savarkar, Lala Lajpat Rai, Lala Hardayal, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, and other freedom fighters as examples of how many patriots, institution builders, and freedom fighters were inspired by Swami Ji. Mahatma Hansraj, Swami Shraddhanand Ji, Bhai Parmanand Ji, and numerous other leaders who drew inspiration from Maharishi were also cited by him as examples.
Shri Daram Pal Arya, the President of the Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Shri Vinay Arya, the Mahamantri of the Delhi Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Shri Suresh Chandra Arya, the Union Minister for Culture, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, the Governor of Gujarat, and Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi, the Minister of State for Culture, were among those in attendance.
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, who was born on February 12, 1824, was a social reformer who established Arya Samaj in 1875 to combat the social injustices that were common at the time. With its focus on social reforms and education, Arya Samaj has been instrumental in the nation’s cultural and social awakening.
The government is dedicated to honouring notable individuals and social reformers, particularly those whose contributions have not yet received recognition on an all-Indian basis. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been spearheading various initiatives, such as designating Bhagwan Birsa Muda’s birth anniversary as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas and taking part in a program honoring Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary.
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