The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today underlined the need to foster a mindset in the country that reflects our civilisational ethos.  Terming “our culture as our spine”, he asked everyone to be proud of ancient wisdom and achievements of Bharat.

Addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of Santhigiri Ashram in New Delhi today, VP called for the revival of the ‘Guru-Shishya’ parampara. Noting that “rather than empowering the pocket of a person, we must empower their minds & faculties,” he praised Santhigiri Ashram for empowering human resources through skill development.

Lauding the Ashram for its focus on women empowerment, Shri Dhankhar said that, “Empowerment of women is critical to the growth of humanity. It is not an option- it is the only way!” In this regard, he also highlighted the importance of the recently passed women’s reservation bill in the parliament.

Commending the efforts of the Santhigiri Ashram in operating Ayurveda Panchkarma Training Centres, VP expressed the need for a harmonious relationship between ancient medicinal wisdom of Ayurveda, Siddha and modern medical sciences. “We had forgotten the reservoir of wealth that India had in health management. It is soothing to note that these are being globally recognised today on a wide scale,” he noted.

Describing mental health as an extremely important facet of health today, the Vice President called for solutions through serious counselling and hand-holding, so that people do not lose hope.

Stressing the need for responsible utilization of natural resources instead of their mindless exploitation, VP said “we have to realise that planet Earth is not only for humans, but for all living beings.”

Sharing his pain over the instances of disruptions and disturbances instead of debate and deliberation in our Parliament, Shri Dhankhar called on the political leaders to keep the national interest above everything else. “Be a stakeholder in politics, but always keep the interest of the nation above politics. We cannot allow narratives that demean, taint, tarnish our country on untenable grounds,” he stressed while maintaining that “nothing can be more inappropriate and condemnable than some informed, knowledgeable minds monetizing ignorance of the people for political equity.”

The Vice-President also underscored the emergence of an ecosystem in the country which is fair and transparent and where everyone can realise their dreams and aspirations without any restriction.

Dr. Sashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi, General Secretary, Santhigiri Ashram, Ashram, Prof. K.V. Thomas, Special Representative, Govt. of Kerala, Swami Chaitanya Jnana Thapaswi, President, Santhigiri and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

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MS/JK/RC