Address by Governor at the inauguration of the New Academic Complex and Guruji Golwaklar Gurukulam at Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Ramtek

Address by Shri CH. Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the inauguration of the New Academic Complex and Guruji Golwaklar Gurukulam at Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Ramtek at 1030 hrs on Tuesday, 5 February 2019

Pujya Pejawar Swami ji, Respected Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi, Sarkaryavaha, Rashtirya Swayamsevak Sangh, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Waterways and Shipping, Shri Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Guardian Minister, Shri Mallikarjun Reddy, MLA, Shri Girish Vyas, MLC, Dr Shriniwas Varakhedi, Vice Chancellor of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Dr Pankaj Chande, founder Vice Chancellor, other Vice Chancellors, office bearers of the University, invitees, teachers, staff, students, ladies and gentlemen,

I feel honoured and privileged to associate myself with the inauguration of the Guruji Golwaklar Gurukulam and the New Academic Complex of the Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit Vishwa Vidyalaya in this holy town of Ramtek.

By creating a Gurukulam in memory of Parampujya Golwalkar Guruji, who was born in Ramtek, we have, although belatedly, expressed our sense of collective gratitude to Param Pujya Guruji, who was truly a ‘Yug Drashta’.

I congratulate the Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University and particularly to Dr Shriniwas Varakhedi for the decision to set up the Gurukulam.

I was pleased to note that the Gurukulam will offer courses in Sanskrit upto Ph.D. level and also offer to the students, knowledge of Information Communication Technology, English and Mathematics.

Sisters and Brothers,

Today, the sapling planted by Dr K.B. Hedgewar in the form of RSS has grown into a large banyan tree having its branches all over the world. This journey has been both spectacular and tough.

The toughest challenge to the Sangh came soon after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The Sangh was banned by the government on 4th February 1948.

Golwalkar Guruji played a critical role and gave the call for nationwide satyagraha from the prison. He challenged the government to ‘Prove the charges against the RSS or lift the ban.’

Thanks to Guruji’s persistent efforts, the ban on RSS was lifted on 12th July 1949.

Two reasons were cited for banning the Sangh. The first reason cited was that the RSS was a secret organization, not having a written Constitution. The second reason advanced for justifying the ban was that RSS doesn’t believe in secularism.

As regards the RSS not having its own Constitution, Guruji had argued that even the United Kingdom didn’t have a written constitution. However, he conveyed that RSS is ready to have its Constitution if that was the only issue against it.

In his autobiographical book ‘My Country, My Life’, former Deputy Prime Minister Shri L K Advani acknowledges that as a 21-year old RSS pracharak in Rajasthan, he learnt the first lesson in Secularism from Guruji Golwalkar.

Advani writes that when he met Golwalkar Guruji in New Delhi, Guruji told him that ‘theocracy is totally alien to the concept of Hindu polity’.

Contrary to what the opponents of the Sangh say, the RSS is one of the most secular and inclusive organizations.

The RSS has always respected the right of individuals to practice their own faith and religion. The Prathasmarana of the Sangh has names of Saints, Social Reformers and Patriots from all corners of the country and they are remembered every day. That itself shows the inclusiveness of the Sangh.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Since time immemorial, India has been regarded as one of the greatest civilizations in the world. The country has been a repository of history and culture, faith and philosophy.

In his book ‘The Case for India’, American Philosopher and Historian Will Durant writes, and I quote,

“India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe’s languages;

She was the mother of our philosophy;

Mother, through the Arabs, of much of our Mathematics;

Mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity;

Mother India, is in many ways the mother of us all.” (Unquote)

Since attaining Independence in the year 1947, India has made tremendous progress in terms of socio- economic development. India has already surpassed Britain to become the sixth largest economy in the world.

However, in order to reclaim our glory as a Vishwa Guru, we need an education system that will be Indian and that will encourage the spirit of enquiry, innovation and enterprise.

During my visits to institutions of science and technology, I often cite the example of Bhaskaracharya.

Bhaskaracharya was the first in the world to calculate accurately the time taken for the Earth to orbit the Sun, as 365.2588 days. I often think, how he must have calculated the time so precisely. It amazes me how he wrote ‘Lilawati’ Bijaganita, the treatise on Mathematics in the Vedic tradition, named after his daughter.

The Sushruta Samhita is considered to be one of the most comprehensive textbooks on ancient surgery. Charaka authored the Charaka Samhita, on the ancient science of Ayurveda.

We must accept and acknowledge that the present education system is not producing thinkers and thought-leaders any more. Indian scientists who secured Nobel Prize in Science were attached to foreign universities.

As Governor, I often receive Presidents and Prime Ministers, Governors and Ambassadors of various countries. I am surprised to know from these dignitaries that many Universities in the world have separate University departments dedicated to Indology and Sanskrit.

In Germany alone, 14 of the top universities teach Sanskrit, classical and modern Indology. Apart from Germany, students from the US, Italy, the UK and the rest of Europe also go to Germany for learning Sanskrit !! Four Universities in UK also offer similar programmes in Sanskrit. Likewise, Universities in Poland, Czech republic, Austria and Australia also offer programmes in Sanskrit.

Like Yoga and Ayurveda, there is growing interest in the world about Sanskrit. I do feel that India must take advantage of this growing upsurge of interest about Sanskrit. Like Germany’s Goethe Institute or Max Mueller Bhavans, we must create a global network of Sanskrit learning Institutes to offer short term programmes in written and spoken Sanskrit.

Golwalkar Guruji was a great Sanskrit Scholar and such an institute of Sanskrit will be a real tribute to him.

I will call upon the Vice Chancellor of the Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University to write to all Sanskrit Universities and Departments in the world and forge strong partnerships with their Sanskrit teaching departments. It should be the endeavour of this University to make the Gurukulam a world class centre of excellence in Sanskrit.

The University is indeed fortunate to have two strong pillars in the form of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Shri Nitin Gadkari, who happens to be the son-in-law of Ramtek.

I wish and hope that the Gurukulam will work as the link between the past and present educational systems so as to enable the students to meet the challenges of future.

I congratulate the Vice Chancellor, all Officers, scholars, students and benevolent individuals involved in the development of this University on this momentous occasion.

I offer my salutations to Parampujaniya Golwalkar Guruji and wish the University Godspeed in its future endeavors.

Thank you

Jayatu Sanskritam !

Jai Hind ! Jai Maharashtra !!