India has a pivotal role in tackling global challenges, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Hindu
He virtually released a commemorative coin and postage stamp to mark the ongoing 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo, and said ‘the poet-philosopher had left an imprint wherever he went’
Hailing Sri Aurobindo’s life and work as reflecting the oneness and cultural pre-eminence of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the poet-philosopher’s modern thoughts, higher consciousness and uncompromising nationalism should inspire India’s leadership role in the world in greater measure.
In his address after virtually releasing a commemorative coin and postage stamp to mark the ongoing 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo at a function hosted at the Kamban Kalaiarangam, Mr. Modi likened the country to an immortal seed which may be suppressed a little under adverse circumstances, even wither a little, but cannot die. “India is the most refined idea of human civilisation, the most natural voice of humanity. India has a pivotal role in tackling challenges faced by the world today,” Mr. Modi said.
He noted that in the life of Sri Aurobindo, who was born in Bengal but spent most of his life in Gujarat and Puducherry, one could get the fundamental philosophy of India’s soul and its development journey. The poet-philosopher had left an imprint wherever he went, Mr. Modi said.
Sri Aurobindo, along with Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi, were the three icons whose lives and contributions around the same period shaped the destiny of the nation, the Prime Minister noted. He recalled that Sri Aurobindo on his return to India after education and global exposure in England, had become proficient in several languages, and had studied the scriptures and translated texts ranging from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Upanishads to Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti and Bharatthari.
Noting that apart from emerging as the “loudest voice of Indian culture”, the Prime Minister said Sri Aurobindo’s ideological clarity, cultural strength and patriotism made him a role model for freedom fighters of that time. He was among the first freedom fighters to call for full Independence and instrumental in helping India break free from the colonial mindset, Mr. Modi said.
Sri Aurobindo, whose uncompromising patriotism inspired the likes of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, had even declared that, “If we want to rebuild our country we have to stop genuflecting before British Parliament,” Mr. Modi said.
At a time when the country is moving ahead with an “India first” mantra, the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, which coincided with the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, presented a historic occasion for the entire country, the Prime Minister said. The country has especially resolved to celebrate the year to take his inspirations and thoughts to the new generation, Mr. Modi added.
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