THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “The meeting between Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi, which took place hundred years ago, remains inspirational and relevant even today, and serves as a powerful source of energy for social harmony and collective goals of a developed India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.
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.