Ramayana is a precious gift to the nation: Santosh Lad

Labour Minister Santosh Lad honoured achievers in various fields during the Valmiki Jayanti celebrations in Dharwad on Saturday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Paying tributes to Maharishi Valmiki on his birth anniversary, Labour Minister and Dharwad district in-charge Santosh Lad termed the epic Ramayana as a precious gift of Valmiki to the nation and said it was the duty of society to remember the contribution of the saint poet.

Inaugurating Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti celebrations organised in Dharwad on Saturday, he said that Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti was being celebrated to remember and adapt the principles propagated in the Ramayana.

“With over 24,000 slokas, Ramayana is considered as the greatest epic and a precious asset of the nation. Even Englishmen termed Valmiki as the greatest philosopher and intellectual. Valmiki’s Ramayana has been a guiding force for philosophers who strived to bring positive changes in society,” he said.

The Minister said that the saint poet should not be confined to a particular caste. “Ramayana is a revered epic containing values of life for everyone and the author of such an epic should be revered by all Indians,” he said while elaborating on how a hunter reformed into a great saint and poet.

Mr. Santosh Lad said that like Valmiki, the architect of the Indian Constitution B.R. Ambedkar too contributed to the development of the country and he too should not be confined to a caste or community. Lord Basavanna called for creation of an egalitarian society to spread love and affection. The ideologies of the great leaders were always relevant and there was need for the younger generation to understand and follow their paths, he said.

Earlier, along with the Minister, the dignitaries and officials offered floral tributes to the portraits of Maharshi Valmiki, B.R. Ambedkar and Babu Jagjeevanram. On the occasion, achievers in varied field were felicitated and beneficiaries of various welfare schemes were handed over cheques of assistance.

Deputy Commissioner Gurudutta Hegde, Police Commissioner Renuka Sukumar, Superintendent of Police Gopal Byakod and others were present. A colourful procession carrying a huge portrait of saint-poet Valmiki was taken out on the thoroughfares of the city as part of the birth anniversary celebrations.