Vice-President, Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Monday underlined the need to foster a mindset in the country that reflects the civilisational ethos of the nation.
Stressing the importance of culture, he asked everyone to be proud of ancient wisdom and achievements of Bharat. Addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of Santhigiri Ashram in New Delhi, the Vice-President called for the revival of the ‘guru-shishya’ parampara. “Rather than empowering the pocket of a person, we must empower their minds and faculties,” he said while praising the Santhigiri Ashram for empowering human resources through skill development.
Lauding the ashram for its focus on women empowerment, Mr. Dhankhar said that, “empowerment of women is critical to the growth of humanity. It is not an option- it is the only way.” He also highlighted the importance of the recently passed Women’s Reservation Bill in the Parliament. Commending the efforts of the Santhigiri Ashram in operating Ayurveda Panchakarma Training Centres, the Vice-President expressed the need for a harmonious relationship between ancient medicinal wisdom of ayurveda, siddha and modern medical sciences.
“We had forgotten the reservoir of wealth that India had in health management. It is soothing to note that these are being globally recognised today on a wide scale,” he noted. Describing mental health as an extremely important facet of health today, the Vice-President called for solutions through serious counselling and hand-holding, so that people does not lose hope.
Stressing the need for responsible utilisation of natural resources instead of their mindless exploitation, the Vice-President said, “we have to realise that planet Earth is not only for humans, but for all living beings.”
Sharing his pain over the instances of disruptions and disturbances instead of debate and deliberation in Parliament, Mr. Dhankhar called on the political leaders to keep the national interest above everything else. “Be a stakeholder in politics, but always keep the interest of the nation above politics. We cannot allow narratives that demean, taint, tarnish our country on untenable grounds,” he stressed, while maintaining that “nothing can be more inappropriate and condemnable than some informed, knowledgeable minds monetising ignorance of the people for political equity.”
