
PM Modi: Gurudevan-Gandhiji meeting remains inspirational even today
The prime minister was inaugurating the centenary celebration of the historic meeting between Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday. He said even today when he takes major decisions for the betterment of these communities, he remembers Gurudev.
'The ideals of Sree Narayana Guru are a great asset to humanity. For those committed to the service of the country and society, Sree Narayana Guru serves as a guiding light. Sree Narayana Guru was undeterred by opposition and unafraid of challenges. Varkala has long been referred to as the Kashi of the South. Whether Kashi is in the north or the south, for me, every Kashi is my own,' he said.
'During the 2013 natural disaster in Kedarnath, in which many from Sivagiri Mutt were stranded, the Mutt approached me, as I was then the chief minister of Gujarat. In times of crisis, one's attention first turns to those they consider their own, those they feel a sense of belonging and responsibility toward. There can be no greater spiritual satisfaction for him than the sense of kinship and trust shown by the saints of Sivagiri Mutt. When foreign ideologies attempted to undermine India's civilisation, culture, and philosophy, Sree Narayana Guru made us realise the fault did not lie in our original traditions, but needed to truly internalise our spirituality,' the PM said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
'Sanatani terror' remarks by Prithviraj Chavan and NCP (SP)'s Awhad spark row; BJP hits back
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan 's remarks suggesting the use of the term "Sanatani or Hindu terrorist" instead of " saffron terrorism " and NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad's "sanatani terrorism" barb have triggered a row in Maharashtra, evoking sharp rebuke from the BJP. Adding fuel to the fire, another NCP (SP) leader, Rohit Pawar, on Sunday drew parallels between Mahatma Gandhi's assassin, Nathuram Godse, and the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Management others MCA healthcare Technology Data Science Leadership Operations Management MBA Public Policy PGDM Digital Marketing Design Thinking Others Product Management Finance Artificial Intelligence CXO Data Science Degree Data Analytics Project Management Healthcare Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details Addressing the media on Thursday after the NIA court acquitted all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case , former chief minister Chavan said, "I request, don't use the term 'saffron terrorism'. If you must, then say 'Sanatani terrorist' or 'Hindu terrorist'". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This new air conditioner cools down a room in just seconds News of the Discovery Undo He, however, stressed that terrorism has no caste or religion. Echoing Chavan, Awhad on Saturday stated that "Sanatani terrorism must be acknowledged". Live Events "It is not a recent phenomenon; it has existed since ancient times," Awhad posted on X and cited various historical incidents where, according to him, thinkers and social reformers were persecuted by what he described as "Sanatani terrorists". "Those who harassed Lord Buddha, killed Buddhist monks, opposed the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and conspired against Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj were all sanatani terrorists," Awhad alleged. "Those who threw cow dung at Savitribai Phule, boycotted Mahatma Phule, attacked Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar, M M Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh, and denied water to the oppressed were Sanatani terrorists," he alleged. Awhad claimed that those who shot Mahatma Gandhi while he was going to prayer, and those who view Manusmriti as more important than the Constitution written by Dr Ambedkar, are the same (sanatani terrorists). On Sunday, Rohit Pawar echoed similar views. "Whether it was Nathuram Godse who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi or the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack, the root of terrorism lies in extremist ideology. Terrorism has no colour, only radical thought is its foundation," Pawar posted on X. He stated that Hinduism has always supported equality, humanity, and the teachings of saints, stressing that the tradition based on Manusmriti cannot be part of Hinduism. "We burnt Manusmriti in the past, we burn it today, and we will continue to burn it in the future", he added. Pawar, grandnephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, questioned the 'silence' of so-called Hindutva leaders over various social issues concerning farmers, women, and youth. "Today, farmers are in distress, women's safety and unemployment are pressing issues. Why don't the so-called Hindutva leaders raise their voices on these? Don't they see Hindu farmers committing suicide or Hindu youth wandering for jobs?" he questioned. Hitting back, Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye on Sunday evening accused Awhad and Pawar of peddling "Hindu hatred" for "appeasement politics". "Pawar and Awhad's Hindu hatred and appeasement politics are not stopping. The examples they give are not supported by the Hindu community. In fact, those people were considered criminals. But it was Awhad who once glorified terrorists like Ishrat Jahan. Have you forgotten Batla House, where terrorists were killed in an encounter and Sonia Gandhi was reportedly in tears?" Upadhye posted on X. He alleged that the Congress tried to associate terrorism with the saffron colour, which symbolises sacrifice. "It was an attempt to label Hindus as terrorists". The BJP leader asked Awhad if he would mention Muslim terrorists and condemn the brutal killing of Hindus in Pahalgam. "You have repeatedly used the phrase 'Sanatani terrorist'. Can you once mention Muslim terrorists and condemn those who killed Hindus in Pahalgam? You are quick to defame Sanatan Dharma but hesitate to name Muslim terrorists. Those who glorify Ishrat Jahan have no moral right to talk about Sanatan Dharma," he added. He accused Rohit Pawar of trying to frame a Hindu terrorism narrative. "Did you remember Hindus when their place of worship was desecrated in Daund (a town in Pune district)? When your government (MVA) jailed Navneet Rana for reciting Hanuman Chalisa, did you think of Hindus then? Now you remember Hindu farmers and youth just to spread a narrative of Hindu terrorism. People will not fall for this hypocrisy. The Hindu community sees through your true face," he said. The BJP had described the acquittal of all the seven accused in the Malegaon blast case as a slap on the face of Congress for defaming Hindus by coining the term saffron terrorism.


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Ram Temple foundation's 5th anniv highlights Gorakhnath Mutt's role
1 2 Lucknow: This year, Aug 5 will mark the fifth anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. For the Gorakhnath Mutt, the day is crucial, with three generations having fought for the temple. These include the current head of the Mutt and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath , his mentor, the late Mahant Avaidyanath, and his grand mentor, the late Mahant Digvijay Nath. In 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the ceremony for the temple's construction, an event attended by Yogi Adityanath along with seers, religious leaders and other dignitaries. As CM, Yogi Adityanath has focused especially on the development of Ayodhya, promoting it as a hub of religious tourism across the world. With the temple nearing completion, Ayodhya is already linked with a network of rail, road and air, with an international airport inaugurated there in 2023. The city has been beautified along with the ghats along the Saryu River, and various other development projects are in progress. Mahant Avaidyanath was among the most prominent leaders of the Ram Temple movement. "Due to his universal acceptance, he was chosen to lead the movement. His lifelong dream was to see a grand and divine temple of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Undoubtedly, he would be very pleased today, especially seeing that the foundation of the Ram Temple, laid five years ago, was done in the presence of his disciple, Yogi Adityanath, and that the temple is nearing completion," said a govt spokesperson. The mutt has had a significant presence in most events related to the temple movement. During the manifestation of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in Dec 1949, Mahant Digvijay Nath was present in Ayodhya. When the temple's lock was opened in 1986, Mahant Avaidyanath was present in Ayodhya. After the Supreme Court's decision to allow the construction of the temple, Yogi Adityanath was responsible for moving Ram Lalla from a tent to a silver throne in a temporary structure. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !


The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
CM mourns loss of M.K. Sanoo
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condoled the death of critic and orator M.K. Sanoo who passed away in Kochi on Saturday. Recalling Sanoo's contributions to Kerala society and history through his activities, discourses, and writings, Mr. Vijayan said his demise was an irreparable loss, particularly to the progressive movement. His was a quiet but forceful voice in the socio-cultural milieu. He was an excellent teacher, orator, public activist, social worker, writer, and literary critic and in step with the State's progressive achievement. His four-year term as an MLA was noteworthy. He was always eager to hear the problems of the people directly and bring them to the attention of Minister and officials, the Chief Minister said. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, in his condolence message, said Prof. Sanoo was a multi-faceted personality – literary critic, biographer, orator, and a teacher. He left his imprint not only on literary criticism but also the area of Malayalam biographies. Recalling Sanoo's biographies of Changampuzha, Basheer, and P.K. Balakrishnan, Mr. Satheesan praised his writing and oratorial skills. Communist Party of India State unit secretary Binoy Viswam said Sanoo led a full life as a writer, literary critic, orator, and teacher. He had left a lasting imprint on Malayalam literature and on society. He was a Left fellow-traveller and gained recognition as a legislator too. He was full of empathy and interacted with all sections of society. Expressing his grief, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M.V. Govindan said Kerala had lost a multi-faceted personality. Sanoo always took care to uphold Left principles and reformist thinking. He was a leading light who endeared himself to the people through his work and progressive thinking. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said Sanoo was a shining star of Malayalam criticism who had left a void that could not be filled. He enriched Malayalam literature with a few select books. As a legislator, he participated in all events without political considerations. Sree Narayana Guru's philosophy was the essence of his thinking. Paying tributes to Sanoo, Bharatiya Janata Party State (BJP) president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a message that Sanoo's demise was indeed a loss to the Malayalam literary tradition and cultural sphere. His contributions as a teacher, legislator, writer, thinker, and orator were immense. BJP leader K. Surendran said the State had lost a great literary critic in Sanoo. His scholarship of Sree Narayana Guru's philosophy was very deep. As a legislator, he functioned without considerations for political affiliations. He maintained good ties with the BJP.