Vice President calls for fighting divisive forces and strengthening the unity of nation

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today called upon the people to fight against divisive forces that seek to divide society on lines of religion, region, language, caste, creed or colour. He said that in the 75th year of our independence, every Indian must take a pledge to further strengthen unity and harmony in our hugely diverse society.

Addressing the students and teachers of Sri Aurobindo International School, Hyderabad after inaugurating the photo-exhibition on the life of Sri Aurobindo, the Vice President emphasised that bridging all divisions was necessary for the greatness of India’s future. Highlighting the positive aspects of religion, he said that if everyone follows one’s religion in true spirit, there will not be any religious conflict.

Reiterating Sri Aurobindo’s vision for India’s spirituality, Shri Naidu said that a reawakening needs to come about in terms of India’s rich legacy of spiritual wisdom which would need to be recast into new forms and expressions to make it globally relevant and in keeping with the contemporary times. Stating that Bharat Mata needs to delve deep into her own treasures he exhorted the Indian youth to be independent and original in their thinking, drawing upon native sources instead of being content as poor imitators of the west. The Vice President also called for rewriting Indian history with an Indian perspective to instil a sense of pride in our glorious cultural heritage among the younger generation.

Recalling Sri Aurobindo’s clarion call to re-establish the greater cultural and spiritual India, Shri Naidu said that spirituality is the master key of India’s great culture whose greatness needs to be rediscovered by reliving it in our daily life. The Vice President also said that GDP growth and wealth creation are not an end in themselves, rather they are means to bring happiness in people’s lives which should be our ultimate aim.

Describing Sri Aurobindo as a great revolutionary Yogi, philosopher, poet and freedom fighter, the Vice President said that he remains an eternal source of inspiration for every Indian. “Through his speeches and writings, he not only kindled a strong desire for complete independence among the masses but also focused on spiritual regeneration of the nation”, he added.

Referring to Sri Aurobindo’s message to the nation on the day of Independence, in 1947, Shri Naidu said that his words were of great purpose and relevance at the individual, national and global level even today. Noting that Sri Aurobindo wanted Asia to regain a great role in the progress of human civilization, he said that building a prosperous and united India will be crucial for the rise of Asia.

Shri Naidu termed spirituality as the master key of India’s great culture and called for rediscovering its greatness by reliving it in our daily life. “The entire mankind needs to realise that what is required today is not mere physical wealth but spiritual wealth as well,” he said.

The Vice President said that the establishment of Auroville at Puducherry represents Sri Aurobindo’s vision for world unity. Responding to a student’s question, he said that reforms were needed in the United Nations so that it becomes a truly representative organisation where the soul and heart of the nations come together. Expressing disapproval of some nation’s mentality to consider themselves as superior to others, he said that equal respect for all is a prerequisite to bring unity of mankind. “Separate identities are going to be there but these identities should not divide us,” he said.

Recalling Sri Aurobindo’s vision, the Vice President said that the goal of education should not be limited to building careers for earning a livelihood but it should aim to build sons for the Motherland to work and to suffer for her. He underlined that it is the sacred duty of teachers to ensure that their students imbibe noble spiritual ideals of our ancient Indian wisdom and take pride in Indian culture.

Stressing that education is not just for employment but for enlightenment, the Vice President called for making India a Vishwa Guru again. “India should become Vishwa Guru not to dominate the world but to give knowledge and to spread light,” he said.

Quoting Shri Aurobindo, Shri Naidu said that India can realise its full potential only by a system of National Education and urged the youth of India to work towards turning Shri Aurobindo’s dreams into reality. He further said that uplift of all human beings is at the core of Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and called for consistent efforts to spread his vision across India and the world. He lauded Sri Aurobindo International School for inspiring children with the spiritual teachings of Sri Aurobindo.

He appreciated the school forputting up a beautiful photo-exhibition on the ‘The Sacred Journey of Sri Aurobindo’s Life’ on the occasion of his 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations. Students of Sri Aurobindo School made presentations in Sanskrit, Telugu and English and gave lively rendition of Sri Aurobindo’s life through Burrakatha. Shri Naidu appreciated the performances by the students depicting India’s glorious culture, rich traditions and the message of Sri Aurobindo.

Shri RamachandruTejavath, Advisory Member Celebration Sri Aurobindo, Special Representative of Telangana, Prof. T. Tirupati Rao, Chairman Governing Body, Chancellor of Manipur University, Dr.Chhalamayi Reddy, Principal, Sri Aurobindo International School, teachers, staff and students were among those present on the occasion.

Following is the full text of the speech –

“Sisters and brothers,

I am very happy to be here today to inaugurate the photo-exhibition on the ‘The Sacred Journey of Sri Aurobindo’s Life’.

Sri Aurobindo, the great revolutionary Yogi, philosopher, poet and freedom fighter remains an eternal source of inspiration for every Indian. Through his speeches and writings, he not only kindled a strong desire for complete independence among the masses but also focused on spiritual regeneration of the nation through his teachings of ‘integral yoga’.

It is indeed a proud moment for the entire nation that this year, the auspicious day of August 15 marked two historic events – 75th Independence Day of our country and also the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo. On this momentous occasion, it is time to revisit the vision and mission of this great Maharishi to seek guidance for our future.

Sri Aurobindo had expressed his prophetic vision of the future in his message to the nation on the day of Independence, in 1947, in terms of his five dreams. All five of them have great purpose and relevance at the individual, national and global level.

In his first dream, Sri Aurobindo called for bridging all divisions in the society to forge a strong, united India. He deemed “it necessary for the greatness of India’s future”. Recognising in 1947 that “India today is free but she has not achieved unity”, he appealed for an end to all strife that resulted in Partition. Sri Aurobindo gave a clarion call to re-establish the greater cultural and spiritual India.

Thanks to the vision and leadership of another great son of this land, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India achieved political unity with the successful assimilation of over 500 princely states. In the 75th year of our Independence, let us all pledge to fight any divisive force that seeks to divide society on lines of religion, region, language, cast, creed or colour. Let us commit ourselves to further strengthening unity and harmony in our hugely diverse society.

Sri Aurobindo’s second dream revolved around “the resurgence and liberation of the peoples of Asia and her return to her great role in the progress of human civilization”. Moving towards achieving the first dream of building a prosperous and united India will be crucial for the rise of Asia to establish her status in the world.

Sri Aurobindo’s third dream envisioned “a world-union forming the outer basis of a fairer, brighter and nobler life for all mankind”. The establishment of Auroville—a township of world unity at Puducherry is a living example of the possibility for this dream of human unity to be realized.

In his fourth dream, the great Rishi underlined the importance of “the spiritual gift of India to the world”. A reawakening needs to come about in terms of India’s rich legacy of spiritual wisdom which would need to be recast into new forms and expressions to make it globally relevant and in keeping with the contemporary times. Bharat Mata needs to delve deep into her own treasures and cast away the shackles of the borrowed British legacy. As he saw it, the youth of India need to be independent and original in their thinking, drawing upon native sources instead of being content as poor imitators of the west. He pointed out that it is time to rewrite our history with an Indian perspective and instil a sense of pride of our glorious cultural heritage among the younger generation.

Sri Aurobindo’s final dream is at the very base of the four—a growth towards a higher and a larger consciousness. He wished for “a step in evolution which would raise man to a higher and larger consciousness”, that would in turn, present solutions to the many problems faced by humanity. He believed that spirituality is the master key of India’s great culture whose greatness needs to be rediscovered by reliving it in our daily life.

Dear students,

Through these five dreams Sri Aurobindo has clearly indicated the great potential of India. And upon you, the youth of India, lies the responsibility of forging these dreams into reality. More than a 100 years ago, way back in 1918, Sri Aurobindo asserted, and I quote, “the greatest knowledge and the greatest riches man can possess are India’s by inheritance; she has that for which all mankind is waiting…. But the full soul, rich with the inheritance of the past, the widening gains of the present, and the large potentiality of the future, can come only by a system of National Education. It cannot come by any extension or imitation of the system of the existing universities with its radically false principles, its vicious and mechanical methods … and its narrow and sightless spirit.” How prophetic his vision proved to be!

Dear friends,

The principle, ‘VasudhaivaKutumbakam’—the whole world is one family—encapsulates the essence of our civilizational consciousness. The concern for the welfare of all and uplift of all human beings is at the core of Sri Aurobindo’s teachings. We need to make consistent efforts to spread his vision and thoughts not only in India but across the world. This Exhibition has expressed the sacred journey of Sri Aurobindo’s life through Ikebana arrangements, both artistically and meaningfully.

I am happy that Sri Aurobindo International School is doing excellent work by inspiring children with the spiritual teachings of Sri Aurobindo. The presentations in Sanskrit and local language were praiseworthy attempts to pay tributes to the great son of Bharat. Sri Aurobindo’s shlokas of Bhavani-Bharati in Sanskrit can be taught to students to create an awakening in them to serve the motherland. Burrakatha is a wonderful medium to spread his message locally and the effort is commendable.

I am happy to know that your school is based on the vision and practice of Integral Education envisioned by Sri Aurobindo which is in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020. I suggest you share your practices with other schools so that more children benefit through this methodology. It is the sacred duty of teachers to ensure that their students imbibe noble spiritual ideals of our ancient Indian wisdom and take pride in Indian culture. With characteristic sagacity and profound insight, Sri Aurobindo observed—“the business of both parent and teacher is to enable and to help the child to educate himself, to develop his own intellectual, moral, aesthetic and practical capacities and to grow freely as an organic being, not to be kneaded and pressured into form like an inert plastic material.”

Sri Aurobindo was the principal of the Bengal National College, and in 1907, while leaving the college he addressed the students and teachers. Sri Aurobindo said-

“What we want here is not merely to give you a little information, not merely to open to you careers for earning a livelihood, but to build up sons for the Motherland to work and to suffer for her. That is why we started this college and that is the work to which I want you to devote yourselves in future.”

Let these lines serve as a guiding light for all of you in your future endeavours.

I wish you all the best for your programs in seeking to spread Sri Aurobindo’s vision locally, in India and across the world.