New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on February 6 asserted the country
will not bow before terrorism while pursuing its spiritual and material goals.
Speaking after releasing commemorative coins in the memory of poet-saint Sant
Tukaram, Vajpayee said while expounding the spiritual path, the country's religious
savants inspired the people to courageously face crises.
"We will be imbued with devotion to God but will not bow before terrorism. Scholars
are interpreting what the word 'Kathi' (used by Tukaram in his verses) means. It
means what hits you and sometimes you need it," the Prime Minister said amidst
applause and laughter from the audience.
The saints, who conveyed the teachings of the 'Vedas', the Gita and 'Upanishads' in
the common man's language through music, "not only gave us strength to face the
alien invasion but also to establish Swaraj. Theirs was a message of 'bhakti'
(devotion) and 'shakti' (strength)".
The religious leaders helped in keeping the society together and preached that there
should be no discrimination among human beings on the basis of their birth.
"Today we talk of environment but 300 years back they taught us about treating trees
and animals as our own and establishing harmony with nature without any hatred or
anger. But this does not mean they were ignorant about the circumstances of the
day," he said and recalled that Saint Tukaram, who wrote over 5,000 verses, inspired
the Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Earlier, Vajpayee released commemorative coins in memory of the renowned Saint in Rs
100, Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs five and Rs two denominations.
PTI
