Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita are the basis on which the Constitution of India has been written and it is secular because the founding fathers who are Hindus believed in these scriptures. Chief Minister Sarma made the statement while speaking at the ‘International Gita Mahotsav’ at Brahma Sarovar in Haryana’s Kurukshetra.
Chief Minister Sarma said that unlike Pakistan, which has a Constitution built on the edifice of Islam, the Constitution of India was written by those who were Hindus, believing in the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita. Tracing the centuries-old association of Assam with Lord Krishna, Chief Minister Sarma said that he was a ‘daamaad’ (son-in-law) of Assam as he tied the nuptial knot with Rukmini, according to a release by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Assam.
The Chief Minister said that the king of Pragjyotishpura, an ancient city and capital of the Varman dynasty and the modern-day Guwahati, Bhagadatta, the son of Narakasura, who was the king of Pragjyotishpura in Hindu mythology, fought in the great battle of Mahabharata for the Kauravas and his valour and heroism finds special mention in the Bhagavad Gita, the DIPR release stated.
“Pandava warrior Bhim married Hidimba from Assam and out of their wedlock was born a great warrior Ghatotkacha who sided with the Pandavas in the great Battle of Kurukshetra,” the Assam CM remarked.
He also mentioned Pandava warrior Arjun, who entered into wedlock in the Northeastern state of Manipur. Dwelling at length on the teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, the Chief Minister said that in essence, it teaches one how to become a complete human being and to be in communion with God.
Exuding optimism, the Assam Chief Minister said that a day would dawn when there would be no Hindus, no Christians, and no Muslims, once they make Bhagavad Gita as a way of life, thus helping them to transform into complete human beings.
The Chief Minister asserted that Bharat existed 5,000 years ago and its civilisation is very ancient and not that it came into being when the British left in August 1947.
“India is not a nation-state. It is a civilisational state. Work is worship and that is what the Bhagavad Gita teaches us. There must be total devotion in what you do, whether it is education or serving the nation,” Chief Minister Sarma added.
Chief Minister Sarma thanked Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for inviting him and making Assam as a partner state in the festival. The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is gaining its moorings in its glorious past and marching forward to make a triumph over ‘adharma’ (evil), which is the core essence of Sanatan Dharma, as mentioned by the release.
“Prime Minister Modi was the brain behind the ‘International Day of Yoga’ and Haryana Chief Minister Khattar behind ‘International Gita Mahotsav’ and both yoga and Gita help in moulding a complete human being,” Chief Minister Sarma added.
He expressed hope that the message of Bhagavad Gita would spread far and wide from the sacred land of Kurukshetra and would further strengthen the edifice of the country.
The grand event of the ‘International Gita Mahotsav 2023’ took place from December 7 to December 24 at Haryana’s Kurukshetra. Over 18,000 students took part with 2.5 crore joining online. They recited 18 ‘shlokas’ from the Bhagavad Gita which was read out by Swami Gyanendra Maharaj. The Haryana government has been organising the Gita Mahotsav at the international level since 2016. In 2019, the festival expanded its reach beyond the country, celebrated in Mauritius and London. Additionally, it took place in Canada in September 2022, the DIPR release said.
The release further mentioned that Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the main programme on December 17 and also inaugurated a three-day International Gita seminar at the Kurukshetra University. A conference focusing on the pilgrimages within the 48 ‘Kos’ Kurukshetra took place at the Kurukshetra University on Saturday. Representatives from 164 pilgrimage committees in Kurukshetra participated, bringing soil and water from their respective pilgrimages to create an idol of Lord Krishna.
The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.
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