New Delhi, Aug.31 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the digital version of Tuslidas’s ‘Ramcharitmanas’ will help people around the world know more about Indian culture and its traditions.
Speaking at the launch of the digital version of Tuslidas’s ‘Ramcharitmanas’, Modi said, “This digital version of ‘Ramcharitmanas’ will be useful to people around the world who want to know more about Indian culture and its values. In the coming days people of Bhopal will be organizing World Hindi Diwas. The delegates from around the world should be given this(digital version of ‘Ramcharitmanas’ )as a gift.”
Talking about the strength of one of the greatest works in Hindi literature, PM Modi said, “This Ramcharitmanas is the reason why our personality cannot fade away. As long as our family value are alive, we are strong in front of the world, and this Ramcharitmanas has contributed towards it in a great way. This is an example of our culture and family values. Our family values are something that are admired by the world, even envied. Now, even if somebody says Om, there’s debate on how it should be said, but on the Ramcharitmanas, there is no debate.”
“People who went as labourers to far off countries over 100 years ago, took the Ramcharitmanas and the Hanuman Chalisa with them, and this allowed them to maintain their links with India,” added Prime Minister Modi.
Describing the role of Ramcharitmanas in keeping a person’s link with India alive with an example he said, “I remember an old incident when the West Indies cricket team came to play in India. I got a call from the manager of the team that they want to meet me. I was surprised because I was not a cricketer and neither a well known figure 30 to 40 years back. His name was Ram Rishi and his wife’s name was Sita. They had come to India for the first time and were dressed in Indian traditional clothes. This is an example of how Ramcharitmanas has kept its meaning alive even after100 to 150 years.”
He further described the strength of All India Radio (AIR) by giving another example.
“I was a BJP worker in Himachal during the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Government and suddenly, I stopped at a tea shop. The shopkeeper gave me a sweet as he was excited with news coming in the AIR of a nuclear test. So, you can imagine the strength of Akashwani,” Modi said.
“20-22 years of recording by Akashwani and keeping track of it is indeed commendable. So, this digital compilation of Ramcharitmanas by All India Radio (AIR) officials is an inspiration for others. Akashwani is the undiluted voice of India. 9,00,000 hours of this digital version will be the biggest resource material in history. It will be a research material for PHD students, “Prime Minister Modi said.
Speaking on the International Yoga Day, he further said,” the International Yoga Day has given a message to the world and people around the world are looking forward to India to learn something from our country. And, that’s why it is our responsibility to spread this(Ramcharitmanas) around the world.
Describing the reach and popularity of Akashwani as huge, Prime Minister Modi said there are some values and things that have a strength of their own, a strength that never shows signs of dwindling.
“The Ramcharitmanas is a reflection of our culture, traditions and our songs and hymns,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared the dias with the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.(ANI)