NEW DELHI: Asserting every nation connects their heritage with identity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday targeted previous Congress governments stating that India didn’t celebrate its cultural legacy after independence because of the colonial mindset hence the country moved in the opposite direction.
“Language, literature, art, spirituality—these treasures of a nation define its existence. That’s why, if any country in the world discovers something hundred years old, it proudly presents it to the world. Every nation connects its heritage with its identity. Unfortunately, Bharat had lagged far behind. Before independence, invaders aimed to erase Bharat’s identity, and after independence, those with a colonial mindset took over. An ecosystem had taken hold in Bharat that worked to push us in the opposite direction,” said Modi, in a veiled attack on the grand old party.
The Prime Minister further said that, however, the nation had recuperated from the inferior complex and been taking big decisions including bestowing classical language status to Pali.
“Symbols of Buddha adopted as the symbols of Bharat at the time of independence, were gradually forgotten in the decades that followed. It took seven decades for the Pali language to get its rightful place. The nation is now free from that inferiority complex and is moving forward with self-respect, self-confidence, and self-pride. As a result, the country is making big decisions. That’s why today, while Pali is being recognized as a classical language, Marathi is also being given the same respect,” Modi said.
He further emphasised India’s commitment to promoting Buddha’s teachings not just for the nation’s benefit but for the service of humanity. Speaking about the teaching of Buddhism, Modi said that the world is once again surrounded by many uncertainties and instabilities and in such times, Buddha is not only relevant but has become essential.
“I once said at the United Nations - Bharat has given the world not war, but Buddha. And today, I confidently say that the entire world will find solutions not in war, but in Buddha. On this occasion of Abhidhamma Divas, I call upon the world; Learn from Buddha, move away from war, pave the way for peace,” he said.
He was speaking at the International Abhidhamma Divas event being organised by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in association with the Ministry of Culture.
Modi said that unfortunately, Pali language which was spoken by Lord Buddha is no longer in common usage. Underlining that language is not just a medium of communicating but the soul of culture and tradition, the PM said that it is connected with basic expressions and termed it a shared responsibility to keep Pali alive in today’s day and age. He expressed satisfaction that the present government has fulfilled this responsibility with humility and strives to address the crores of Lord Buddha’s disciples.
The PM also informed that he would visit Varanasi on Sunday to inaugurate many development projects in Sarnath. Modi underlined that the Government had brought back more than 600 ancient heritages, artifacts and relics to India in the last decade, of which many of them were related to Buddhism. He added that in the renaissance of Buddha's heritage, India was presenting its culture and civilization in a new way.