Adityanath warns against present-day demons in Vijayadashami speech; hails RSS on centenary year

Gorakhpur (UP), Oct 2 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday drew parallels between the characters of Ramayana and contemporary social evils in his Vijayadashami speech, and also hailed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is celebrating its centenary year.

Addressing a large gathering in Gorakhpur, the chief minister said while the names and circumstances have changed since the epic eras of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the negative characters continue to persist in today’s society.

“The (present day) situation and characters are similar to the time of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The 'Tadakas' and 'Surpanakhas' are present even today, and we must remain vigilant against them,” Adityanath said.

The chief minister specifically warned against those who seek to divide society based on caste and untouchability, referring to them as collaborators of demons 'Tadaka’, 'Marich’, and 'Surpanakha’, who work against Sanatan Dharma.

“Those who pose a threat to the safety of our daughters must have collided with ‘Duryodhan’ or ‘Dushasan’ in another era,” he said, urging people to remain alert against divisive and destructive actions.

Emphasising that Sanatan Dharma is not merely a method of worship but a guarantee for the welfare of all living beings and the entire universe, Adityanath warned against those who seek to divide and break society, promote social distortion, and shelter the nation's enemies.

He also criticised those who feel no pride in India's glory, claiming that there was a time when the same people, while in power, questioned the very existence of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, attempting to divide Sanatan Dharma.

“But the people of India have awakened in the past 11 years,” the chief minister said, adding that the nation is now achieving new heights of development – a convergence of heritage and progress that he likened to a “Ram Rajya”.

Adityanath also paid a glowing tribute to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which was formed on the day of Vijayadashami 100 years ago in 1925.

“As the RSS completes 100 years, people should remember that no other organisation in the world possesses such a brilliant and illustrious structure,” he said.

Adityanath also said that the RSS was built not on the strength of political power but through the hard work, wisdom, and selfless dedication of its volunteers, as he praised the organisation for filling the void left by a "failed government" by protecting the country's values.

He lauded its century of service in the fields of health, disaster relief, social integration, and for establishing thousands of educational institutions, such as the Saraswati Shishu Mandir and Vidya Bharati, without any government aid.

Adityanath also recalled how the epic television programme Ramayana by Ramanand Sagar during the late ‘80s kept nearly 66 crore viewers globally glued to their television screens, uniting families and demonstrating the deep-rooted faith in Ram's ideals.

The chief minister concluded by acknowledging the "impossible" task achieved by the movement to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which today “stands as a testament to the power of resolve and unity”. PTI CDN ARI