LUCKNOW: Announcing a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and a financial assistance of Rs 35-40 lakh in case of an unfortunate demise of a sanitation worker on duty due to accident or disaster, UP CM Yogi Adityanath assured the Valmiki community that their safety meant the safety of society.
"Your respect amounts to respecting Lord Valmiki’s heritage", he remarked while interacting with the sanitation workers here on Tuesday.
The CM assured the sanitation workers that they would now get money directly into their bank accounts, not from outsourcing agencies but from the government corporations.
"When the corporation’s money comes into the account, arrangements will be made that, if unfortunately, any sanitation worker meets with an accident or disaster, the bank will provide Rs 35-40 lakh. Over 80,000 Home Guards in UP have already been covered under this scheme. Now, sanitation workers will also be linked to this arrangement", he stated.
CM Yogi attended the Maharshi Valmiki Manifestation Day ceremony organised by Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Mahasabha Trust.
Yogi said that Maharshi Valmiki was ‘Bhagya Vidhata’, India’s great spiritual tradition. He said that while writing Ramayana, Valmiki wove it around the character of Lord Ram because he personifies Dharma.
"Human society is grateful to Lord Valmiki. He depicted Lord Ram’s character, which has been relevant in every era, country, and situation. The relationships among brothers, that of a father and son, mother and son, king and his subjects—all are reflected by the term Maryada Purushottam. Lord Ram never violated the line of propriety (Lakshman Rekha)," CM Yogi stated.
The CM urged every sanatani Indian to keep a picture of Maharshi Valmiki in homes, noting that every narrator of the Ramayana first pays homage to Lord Valmiki.
The seat they occupy, known as the Vyas Peeth, is regarded as the most revered one. Yogi said that the sages have guided society through every era.
He cited the names of Maharishi Valmiki in the Ramayana period; Maharshi Ved Vyasa in Mahabharata era; Sant Ravidas in the medieval period; and Dr BR Ambedkar during the struggle for freedom.
“Though they lived in different times, all shared the same vision of uplifting society,” he added.
Yogi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had carried that vision forward through the idea of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat and the motto Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’
He said that Ram Rajya represented a utopian society free from discrimination based on caste, religion, or sect and today, the BJP’s double-engine government was working to realize that vision.
The CM said when the SP government came in 2012, threats were made to break the monuments of the pioneers of social justice.
"Today, those people remember Baba Saheb in every press conference, but the then SP’s CM changed the name of Kannauj Medical College. We restored it in the name of Baba Saheb. Lucknow’s Language University was named after Kanshiram Ji, but SP changed that name too. Saharanpur Medical College’s name was also changed. They have dual faces and visualize everything from the angle of vote politics, " stated the CM.
Yogi said the opposition had opposed the Ram temple in Ayodhya and had even doubted the existence of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna.
The opposition questioned Maharshi Valmiki’s manifestation festival. They put a question mark on the incarnation of Lord Krishna and Maharshi Vyas. They made such remarks about everyone, but PM Modi built Baba Saheb’s Panchteerthas.
CM said sanitation workers were exploited during SP’s tenure. They did not get even Rs 4,000 stipend. PM Modi was the first to say the practice of carrying filth on the head must end. Now every home has a toilet. While giving priority to Valmiki community sanitation workers, better wages were arranged.
“Construction of community toilets in every village is underway and payment orders for cleanliness friends are issued regularly,” he added.
He urged the Valmiki community to educate their children and send them to school so that they would be capable of leading the society.
"No work is small or big. As family guardians, mothers clean their children’s dirt, you play the same role in society. Your greatness is that, despite working in this role, no ill feeling is allowed to arise in society. Standing with everyone, you have worked for society. Even enduring insult in adverse circumstances, you organized festivals well. Lord Valmiki instilled the feeling of dedication for society. That dedication links the feeling of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat and nation first. Great programs are happening in Lucknow and other districts on the occasion. We will expand these programs each year," he added
"Those who do not believe in Lord Ram and have opened fire on Ram’s devotees cannot be expected to do anything productive. They will only cause division. Spread awareness about the importance of Maharshi Valmiki and Lord Ram. The stronger the devotion, the stronger the society. A strong society becomes self-reliant and contributes to realizing the vision of a developed India", he said.
