Puducherry: Underlining that culture is common thread binding all corners of the country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that one has to listen and read Indian poet and philosopher Sri Aurobindo to understand the soul of India.
Addressing a programme to mark the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo in Puducherry, Shah said while other countries of the world as formed on the basis of resolutions, India is a country that is formed “on the basis of culture”.
“Whatever Sri Aurobindo wrote or said, if we have to summarise it in one sentence, then I just made a sentence sitting on the stage. If we have to understand India, not geographically, but spiritually, then Sri Aurobindo needs to be studied and listened to. Without studying Veda, Upanishad, Gita, and various epics, if we study Sri Aurobindo well, we will be introduced to the soul of India. He lived such a kind of life,” Shah said.
“If we understand his message, he gave a different description of India. All the geopolitical countries in the world are formed with resolutions, be it Europe, America, the Soviet Union, or China. There is only one country in the world which is geo-culture and is formed on the basis of culture, and that country is India,” he said.
Shah suggested looking at India as a geo-culture country to “solve the problems of today” and said that all corners of the country are “somewhere bound by one culture”.
“If we start looking at India as a geo-culture country, then all the problems of today will be solved on its own. We are somewhere united by one culture from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Dwarka to Bengal,” he said.
“The Constitution holds a very important place on its own place and is respectable for all, on the basis of which country should run. But if there is a bonding, then it is the culture that is soul of India. You would come to know this when you read Sri Aurobindo,” Shah added.
Elaborating on the life of Indian poet and philosopher Sri Aurobindo, the Home Minister said that he worked to provide new energy and direction to the ancient consciousness of India.
“Sri Aurobindo worked to provide new energy, speed and direction to the river of ancient consciousness of Indian culture. He did it at a time when there was darkness all around with no ray of hope under British rule,” he said.
Highlighting the purpose of the celebration of Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary, the Home Minister sought to propagate the teachings and thoughts of the philosopher to the new generation and wake up their curiosity about the Indian poet.
“Unless we propagate his thoughts to the new generation, the purpose of the celebration of his 150th anniversary cannot be fulfilled. I have come from Gujarat. Sri Aurobindo has had a deep relationship with the state. Many Gujaratis, inspired by his life’s message, have adopted it in their lives,” he said.
The Home Minister further stated that the Centre is striving to make India of Sri Aurobindo’s dream in the 75th year of independence.
Earlier, the Home Minister visited Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry and paid tributes to the philosopher.
“Visited Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry. Sri Aurobindo was a great intellectual and spiritual giant. He made lasting contributions to India’s freedom struggle. Sri Aurobindo’s works and thoughts remain relevant for all and he continues to be our guiding light. My tributes,” Shah tweeted. (ANI)
