It is an absolute honour and privilege to officially open ‘Sri Saanidhya’, the recently built, cutting-edge queue system complex, that is intended to improve devotee convenience.

I commend Padma Shri Dr. Heggade for envisioning and realising the construction of a contemporary queue complex with the wholesome object of enhancing the waiting experience for devotees seeking darshan of Sri Manjunatha Swamy, our God.

Ladies and gentlemen, the outstanding feature of this complex is convenience for devotees and availing of technological advancements. India is a spiritual centre of the world and this place is a testament of it.

Under the divine gaze of Bhagwan Shri Manjunath there is reflection of religiosity, sublimity, harmony and peace of mind. The divine feeling here is beyond expression. Millions throng to this place in search of solace, blessings, and a divine connection. The Sanidhya Queue Complex is beyond a physical structure; it is just not a building, it is a manifestation of our collective commitment to inclusivity, hospitality, and service. Congratulations to all who converged to realise this magnificent facility.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have gone through. The facilitation is unique. It evidences concern for those who in earnestness come to seek divine blessings. A soothing change in recent years in our country has been infrastructural growth that is germane to our religious place. This needs to be applauded as there are centres also of our civilisational values. Religious institutions are emblematic of equality since there is no individual is higher before the Almighty, the God. We should re-instil the idea of equality in religious institutions. When precedence is accorded when priority is given to someone, when we label it as VVIP or VIP, this is belittling the concept of equality.

VIP culture, friends, is an aberration, it is an incursion when viewed on the anvil of equality. It should have no place in society, much less in religious places . I hope this Dharmasthala being led by a luminary of all times will serve as an example of  egalitarianism and let us shun for all times VIP culture. The very idea of VIP darshan militates against divinity. It should be dispensed with.

Religious institutions in our country are beyond sites of faith. These are centres of community service and this place has made a huge contribution in education and healthcare. That is worth applauding and worth emulating. What a pleasant surprise to me was the extraordinary efforts made by this institution in serving rural India.

Our Bharat lives in villages. Our path of progress has to go through villages. Villages define our way of life, our democracy, our economy. It is in villages that the heartbeat of India resonates and it resonates in high decibels. The development of these areas has to be our topmost priority.

It is our sacred duty and the best way to transform is education. Education is the most impactful mechanism to bring about equality. It is the best effective mechanism to decimate inequities.

I urge all religious institutions to make one particular effort and that is to make aware our generation, our young people of our civilisational depth. I am concerned on occasions that our young children and youth are not exposed to the virtuosity, the wisdom, the knowledge, the depth of our civilisational gold mine. These institutions can catalyse it. Without such an initiative, the inestimable heritage and relevance would be lost in contemporary times.

Friends, the world is in turmoil and in turmoil as never before. Undoubtedly, this is a moment when we see our economic upsurge, growth in infrastructure, deep technical, digital penetration that has strengthened the world. There are areas in which Bharat has emerged as a global leader, a role model for other nations.

In such a mechanism, imagine if this land of culture, a land of deep civilisational values, can we afford to lose our shine? We should be shining brighter given our development. When it comes to humanity's welfare, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we are a nation messenger of peace. We promote harmony, equality, tranquilly. There is now an urgent need in the country, ladies and gentlemen, to ensure, to think, to reflect on deep political divisiveness. Political climate in the country is a challenge as much as climate change.

We have to work to harmonise it. We cannot ignore our long-term gains, commitment to nationalism for short-term gains. The political temperature in the country needs to be moderated by rational minds. All our stance has to be dictated and pivoted firmly by one consideration, goodness of the nation.

We must strive to keep nation first in all situations, because this country, home to one-sixth of humanity, is nerve centre, cultural centre, spiritual centre of the planet. There have been civilisations like us, Mesopotamia, there have been other civilisations in China also, but look at, we have survived, we are surviving, we are thriving.

People flock to this country to seek solace, to seek wisdom, to gain knowledge, to discover divinity for themselves. I appeal to everyone in this country from this religious platform to give and accord due precedence, priority to expression and dialogue.

Dialogue and expression, they define democracy. If our right of expression is curtailed, diminished, the best of an individual cannot come forward but if we insist only on expression and do not believe in dialogue, if we believe only in expression and believe that we alone are right, we are being unfair to humanity, to the other person. Dialogue and expression have to go hand in hand. It is dialogue that makes us realise the importance of the other point of view.

I therefore call upon everyone, a dialogue is the greatest reliever of any tension. A meaningful dialogue with positive approach can bring about solution to problems that are turning out to be very painful for our society. Democracy has no meaning unless people are able to express and engage in dialogue.

I am a worried person. The most sanctified platform, the most authenticated platform in democracy for dialogue emanates from the people. The people elect their representatives to parliament and legislatures. It is bounded duty of public representatives to voice concerns of the people. They must offer solutions. They must work to realise aspirations of the people but if those who are obligated, constitutionally mandated to engage in dialogue, engage in disruption, engage in disruption, then things go wrong. Things go wrong for a very difficult situation because there can be no vacuum in society.

If parliamentarians and representatives of the people will not engage in their activity, the vacuum will be filled. People will agitate on the streets. People go in chaotic mode because they have to find expression of their problems. They have to look for their solutions.

I therefore urge, wake up. We are cliffhanging as a parliamentary institution. We are very close to eclipsing. We are getting into irrelevant mode. Time for the temples of democracy to be vibrant for expression of views, healthy dialogue, consensual approach that was reflected by constituent assembly in evolution of our constitution.

I call upon everyone who represents people to soul search because we are in the last quarter of the century for celebration of our independence. We have set a target for a developed nation at 2047. It is no longer a dream, it is our object. It is achievable, but we all have to believe in our nation, in serving the nation and rise above partisan approach when it comes to development or national welfare.

I call upon the people, they have power of social media. I call upon youth, generate pressure on your representatives. Audit your representatives because your watchdog positioning will account for success of democracy. Once you do it, the representatives will shine and outshine in service of the nation.

Friends, I need to caution you on something else while India is rising as never before, global institutions are accolading us, forces against India, forces inimical to our interests, forces that do not think well of us are conversing in one form or the other. They want to destabilise our institutions. They want to taint and tarnish our constitutional positions. They want to run down our progress history. We must neutralise these forces with total command and that can be done when there is eternal vigilance. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom we have to pay.

I therefore, call upon everyone individually and collectively to serve the nation. Imagine in a country like ours, people challenge law enforcing authorities. They challenge public order. They come to the streets if there is a court summons. Is it the way to function? In a country that is Bharat, can we allow people to be lone to themselves? Can we allow these people to be loose cannons in society? Anyone who challenges law and order and public order must be held accountable. How shameful it is for us.

How painful for it is when we see public property being destroyed, public property being set on fire. Can we allow it? They are enemies of the nation. These people, these nefarious elements must be dealt in an exemplary manner. They must be brought to law. Their cases must be fast-tracked.

This country of 1.4 billion cannot suffer this kind of public nuisance, destruction of public property. The world is appreciating our trains. One after the other we are having trains and there are some people who stone it. They are rogue elements of society. They should not have our respect. They must be singled out, pinpointed, and strongly dealt with.

I am happy in some part of the country. This is being done. This needs to be done in every part of the country. Politics is not for bitterness, politicians will have different ideologies. Why not? They must have. India is defined for its diversity because diversity converges into unity but why should there be political bitterness? That is not our culture.

We believe in universal brotherhood, sisterhood. We take the world as one unity, one family. Can we 24X7 only be politicking? Can we 24X7 engage only for political gains? The object of politics should not be power alone. Power is important. It should be serving the society, serving the nation.

I am concerned, and I am sure you must be equally concerned. Our society is getting polarised. The harmony is eluding us. Why? We must start some kind of a narrative. Remind all of us, of our civilisation, the death of 5,000 years. I am sure all thinking minds, rational minds, will catalyse public opinion so that we have people who are tolerant of each other's points of view. You may not agree with someone, but please hear him or her out. Declining to hear the other's point of view is arbitrary, inhuman because that point of view may be the right point of view.

I call upon corporates, Indian corporates, to come forward and generously contribute out of their CSR funds for development of infrastructure, for health, for education, infrastructure around such religious institutions because these religious institutions are beyond places of worship. They are nerve centres of our culture. This will help imbibe in our youth, in our children, cultural values, that make this country different from other countries.

We are a nation that cannot be driven like the Western world by mere materialism. We believe in sterling worth of life, spirituality. We want to face divinity, live with divinity and that is why our children in early age must be exposed to our cultural ethos and values.

Friends, the foundation of our national transformation is taking place but it can get accelerated if all individuals, all citizens commit to five pillars, which I call as Panch Pran.

One, we must promote social harmony. We must believe in social harmony that transcends diversity, converts diversity into national unity. We must believe in family life, family enlightenment by nurturing patriotic values at grassroots with children. We must care for our environment, environment friendly lifestyle, environmental values. Look at our worships. They are environment friendly. We are sure we don't have another earth to cohabit. We can't allow this existential challenge to overtake us. We must be environment friendly.

I call upon everyone in the country to believe in Swadeshi. Be vocal about local that will promote employment, that will save precious foreign exchange. You must believe in it and lastly, our constitution gives us fundamental rights, but we must focus on fundamental duties. Our duties are sacred, they take nothing much. If you go through the fundamental duties, you will be inspired, motivated to follow them.

मुझे कहने में कोई संकोच नहीं है, हमारे राष्ट्रीय परिवर्तन की नींव पांच शिक्तशाली स्तंभों पर टिकी हुई है:

●      सामाजिक सद्भाव जो विविवधता को राष्ट्रीय एकता में बदल देता है,

●      जमीनी स्तर पर देशभिक्त के मूल्यों का पोषण कहां होता है, परिवार में होता है इसकी शुरुआत कीजिए

●      भारत माता का सम्मान तब होगा जब हम पयार्वरण संरक्षण कारेगे, सृजन करेंगे,

●      स्वदेशी को अपनाएंगे तो आत्मनिर्भर भारत की नीव मजबूत होगी, हम आत्मनिर्भर बनेंगे; और

●      यदि अगर हम नागिरक के कतर्व्य का निर्वहन करेंगे तो हम प्रगति के पथ प्रदर्शक बनेंगे।

Ladies and gentlemen, I take from here a message that we must work for the nation. I take from here a message that every individual must be energised to put the nation before self. No consideration of individual, ideological, organisational can override our national interests.

I wish your establishment, your bhakts, and everyone good health and happiness in life.

Thank you so much.

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