Spiritual traditions a force that has run India: PM

PM Modi said that the country should aim for the best things and that even the action by soldiers should not be on a small scale, an apparent reference to the Balakot strike

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he "pitied" the thinking of some people who believe all religious activities are useless, without realising that spirituality is the force that has driven the country.

Underlining the role of seers in strengthening the society, the prime minister said the "spiritual force" had helped in fighting the 1200-year long slavery.

Modi also said the country should aim for the best things and that even the action by soldiers should not be on a small scale, an apparent reference to the Balakot strike.

"There is a class of people in the country which believes all these religious activities are useless (thinking) they do not give any benefit to society, but are invented for
the benefit of a few. I pity their thinking," Modi said addressing a huge gathering here.

He was peaking after laying the foundation stone for Rs 1000 crore Ma Umiya Dham temple complex of Kadva Patidar community at Jaspur village near here.

"Our spiritual tradition has been the force that has run this country. No one can ever forget the role of sants and seers in strengthening our society. They have given us valuable teachings. They have given us the strength to fight the evil as well as oppressions," Modi said.

The PM said the spiritual force had helped in safeguarding the pride, culture and traditions during 1200 years of slavery.

"It was due to our spiritual force that we were able to fight for our pride, our culture and our traditions during the 1000-1200 years of our slavery," he said.

Modi said spirituality also worked for our cohesive social life.

"Actually, organisation of small Kumbh melas every three years and a huge congregation every 12 years is to assess where our society is going. Sants used to come from all over the country to discuss the issues of society. Our spiritual traditions was one of the reasons behind the 1857 freedom struggle," the prime minister said.

He further said Yoga has become a new craze in the world, which also indicates the importance of spirituality.

"These spiritual traditions have great power to cure social evils," the PM said while appealing to Patidar community members to save the girl child and to prevent the young generation from addictions.

"I would ask you to save the girl child. When we are building such a huge temple for mother Umiya, can we kill our girl child in the womb of mothers," Modi said.

He said it was becoming difficult nowadays for families to protect their children in the event of them straying on a wrong track and becoming addicted (to drugs and booze).

"It is important that we do not allow this to happen," Modi said, adding that spirituality has the power to fight against social evils.

At the occasion, the prime minister praised trustees of the Ma Umiya Dham Trust.

"In this country, we have reached the times where nothing should be on a small scale but everything must be on a big scale. Had we not displayed this mentality then we would not have been able to build the biggest statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel," he said.

The PM said, "Why should we do not have the best things in the world like bullet trains, and if our brave soldiers do something, why it should be small?"

Modi further said he would continue to be the prime minister of the country for the second term as well.

"If trustees of this trust want any help for this mega project, you should come to me in Delhi. I am going to on that seat even after 2019," Modi said.

Apart from the grand temple, the entire complex would house a skills university, separate hostels for boys and girls, a job placement and counselling centre for students, counselling centres for the issues related to agriculture and immigration, and a unit to resolve social and commercial disputes among the community members.

The entire complex, situated near SG Highway, will be located on a 30 lakh square feet area.