Saints played key role in protecting India's culture and unity: Amit Shah
Dongargarh (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said India's saints played a significant role in preserving the country's culture, unity and in spreading knowledge.
Speaking at the 'First Samadhi Mahotsav' of Acharya Shri Vidyasagar Ji Mahamuniraj in Dongargarh town of Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, he said Jain Acharyas and Munis (monks and seers) worked towards uniting the entire country.
Post-independence, when the country and the government started getting influenced by the western thoughts, Jain seer late Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj was the only saint who continued to protect India, Indianness, Indian culture, our religion and our languages, Shah said.
"The saint tradition of our country is very rich. Whenever the need arose, the saint tradition in India played its role in protecting the country's culture. The saints have created knowledge and kept the country united. During the period of slavery, the saints kept the national consciousness alive through the spirit of devotion," he said.
"After independence, when the government and the country started getting influenced by western thoughts, Acharya ji was the only saint who continued to hold India, Indianness, Indian culture, our religion, our languages," he said.
Acharya ji was not just a saint, but he was a 'yugpurush' who started a new idea and a new era. He inspired many people to take care of the country's cottage industries and employment. He always promoted 'godhan' (cattle), charkha (spinning wheel), handloom and local employment, he said.
"Perhaps Acharya ji's inspiration has been the main reason for the boost given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji to all these things in the country," Shah added.
Acharya Vidyasagar breathed his last on February 18 last year at Chandragiri Teerth in Dongargarh after undertaking 'sallekhana'.
Sallekhana is a Jain religious practice involving voluntary fasting unto death for spiritual purification.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
