Business Standard

Vedas manifest the spirit of universal brotherhood: President

Image

Press Trust of India Hyderabad
President Pranab Mukherjee today said the Vedas give the message of universal brotherhood and they should be preserved.

"The traditional Indian philosophy 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' beautifully captures the essence of our global outlook. UNESCO has also recognized the Vedas as oral heritage and it is our sacred duty to preserve them in their pristine form," he said.

The President was speaking after inaugurating a 'Veda Pathashala' of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) at Ai-Bhimavaram village in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh today. TTD is the body that administers the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirupati.

The benevolent message of the Vedas is not limited just to the welfare of individuals, society and the nation but manifest the spirit of universal brotherhood, Mukherjee said.
 

He recalled that India provided leadership in knowledge in ancient times with the great and eminent seats of learning flourishing at Nalanda and Takshasila.

He appreciated the TTD for its services in various spheres, especially in education and dissemination of knowledge.

Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju and several other dignitaries attended the event.
"In the first half of 2016-17, it grew at a rate of 7.2

percent - same as that last year - showing sustained recovery. We are firmly on the path of fiscal consolidation and our inflation level is within comfort zone," he said.

The President said what has brought thus far will take the country further ahead but country will have to learn to adjust our sails, quickly and deftly, to the winds of change.

"More than the unison of ideas, a healthy democracy calls for conformity to the values of tolerance, patience and respect for others. These values must reside in the hearts and minds of every Indian; inculcating in them a temperament of understanding and responsibility," he said.

Advising people to remember that the tree of freedom needs constant care and nourishment, Mukherjee said along with the rights which have been conferred to use because of democracy there are responsibilities which have to be discharged.

"Born in independent India, three generations of citizens do not carry the baggage of colonial past. These generations have had the privilege of acquiring education, pursuing opportunities and chasing dreams in a free nation. This sometimes makes it easy for them to take freedom for granted; to forget the price that extraordinary men and women paid to win this freedom; to forget that the tree of freedom needs constant care and nourishment," Mukherjee said.

He said democracy has conferred rights on each one of us but along with these rights, come responsibilities which have to be discharged.

The President said youth today are brimming with hope and aspirations.

"They pursue their life goals, which they perceive will bring them fame, success and happiness, with single-minded devotion. They consider happiness as their existential objective, which of course is understandable. They search for happiness in the highs and lows of day-to-day emotions, and in the fulfilment of the objectives they have set for themselves," he said.

He said the country needs to work harder on the fronts of reducing poverty, to provide food security, to provide enhanced employment opportunities, to provide safety and security to our women and children, to prevent environmental and ecological de-gradation by changing consumption patterns.

Mukherjee said the country needs to work harder to keep at bay the dark forces of terrorism and to ensure the well- being of our soldiers and security personnel.

"We have to work harder because our pluralistic culture and tolerance are still being put to test by vested interests. Reason and moderation should be our guide in dealing with such situations," he said.

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Dec 25 2015 | 5:13 PM IST

Explore News