SERVING THE POOR IS SERVING THE DARIDRANARAYAN
Vice President, Shri
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has said that I believe in serving the
poor is serving the Daridranarayan. I have always believed that
focus of all development programmes should be on taking care of
the poor. This was the philosophy which guided me to launch the
Antyodya programme when I became the Chief Minister of
Rajasthan for the first time. Antyodaya means taking care
of the poor amongst the poor. Shri Shekhawat was addressing
the Golden Jubilee Birthday Celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi
Devi in Cochin today. He further said that all of us know how
extensively and deeply Amma's work has touched the lives of millions
of people in India and abroad. For her, spiritual substance of
life does not dwell in abstract philosophical concepts but in
understanding the beauty of God's creation, considering everyone
and everything as part of one divinity. Her message of compassion
is all embracing. Her urge to relieve pain and hunger, poverty
and disease, misery and sorrow, is all encompassing.
Expounding the
concept of Religion, Shri Shekhawat said India is home to almost
every religion in the world. But the message of every religion
or dharma is to make a man a better human being. This is
what makes our country's ethos really secular in otherwise a highly
pluralistic and multi-religious society. It is this Indian ethos
which we need to rekindle, restrengthen and re-emphasize through
our actions and deeds. In this context, he mentioned the ancient
axiom of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam and said, only with the imbibing
of this ethos, economic globalisation will contribute to a new
cooperative human society comprising more caring and compassionate
human beings.
Shri Shekhawat
lauded the projects undertaken by Amma. 'All her projects amply
demonstrate her deep compassion for the under-privileged and those
in pain and difficulty. The Amritakuteeram Project, the
village reconstruction project for
Gujarat earthquake victims, the super-speciality hospital, the
educational institutions - all capture Amma's concerns for suffering
humanity and an abiding faith in people to practise positive values,
such as selflessness, compassion and love', he said.. On this
occasion, Vice-President also presented the All India National
Amrithakeerthi Puraskar and State Amrithakeerthi Puraskar for
exemplary contributions to Indian culture, phisolophy and social
service to the distinguished scholar, Dr. Shankar Abhyankar and
to Prof. M.H. Sasthrikal respectively.
