Kurukshetra, Haryana: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Saturday asserted that Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, are the basis of the Indian Constitution akin to Pakistan whose Constitution is built on the edifice of Islam.
Addressing the ongoing International Gita Mahotsav at Brahma Sarovar in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, Sarma said the Indian Constitution is secular in nature because the founding fathers who drafted it were Hindus and believed in Hindu scriptures.
भारत के संविधान का मूलाधार भगवत् गीता और वेद से प्रेरित है इसीलिए हमारा देश “secular” है। #InternationalGitaMahotsav pic.twitter.com/cB90lFLSzr
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 23, 2023
Sarma asserted 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 the Bhagavad Gita.
“Vedas, upanishads and Bhagavad Gita are the basis on which the Indian Constitution was written,” he said.
Himanta said Assam has an ages old association with Lord Krishna as became the ‘daamaad’ (son-in-law) of Assam after marrying Rukmini.
Further tracing Assam and northeast’s ancient Hindu roots and ties to Hindu epics and warriors, Sarma said King of Pragjyotispur, Bhagadatta, fought in the great battle of Mahabharata for the Kauravas and his valour and heroism finds special mention in the Bhagavad Gita.
भगवान कृष्ण हमारे दामाद हैं क्योंकि उन्होंने असम की बेटी रुक्मिणी से विवाह किया था। इसलिए भगवान कृष्ण के साथ हमारा रिश्ता एक दामाद का है#InternationalGitaMahotsav pic.twitter.com/zkQFTVx7Co
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 23, 2023
“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 in Kurukshetra,” he said.
Sarma also mentioned about Pandava warrior Arjun who entered into wedlock in Manipur.
Dwelling at length on the teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, Sarma said in essence it teaches one how to become a complete human being and to be in communion with God.
Exuding optimism, the chief minister said a day would dawn when there will be no Hindus, no Christians, no Muslims once they make the Gita as a way of life, thus helping them to transform into complete human being.
He said 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,” he said.
Sarma said work is worship and that is what the Bhagawad Gita teaches everyone. “There must be total devotion in what you do, whether it be education or serving the nation”, he said.
Sarma thanked Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for inviting him and making Assam as a partner state in the festival.
The Assam 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.
Sarma said PM Modi was the brain behind the International Day of Yoga and Haryana Chief Minister Khattar behind International Gita Mahotsav and that both yoga and the Gita help in moulding a complete human being.
He hoped that the message of the Gita will spread far and wide from the sacred land of Kurukshetra and would further strengthen the edifice of the country.
The International Gita Mahotsav 2023 is taking place from December 7 to December 24 at Kurukshetra, Haryana. As many as 18,000 students took part in the event with 2.5 crore joining online.
They recited 18 shlokas from the Gita which was read out by Swami Gyanendra Maharaj.
The Haryana government has been organising the Gita Mahotsav at the international level since 2016.
(With PTI inputs)
