Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates golden jubilee celebrations of Prashanti Kutiram, attends event marking birth centenary of former RSS general secretary H.V. Sheshadri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at S-VYASA University in Bengaluru on November 13 to inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of Prashanti Kutiram and attend an event marking the birth centenary of former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary H.V. Sheshadri.

Prashanti Kutiram is the name of the campus housing the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-VYASA University) in Bengaluru.

Mr Modi laid the foundation stone for the Golden Jubilee Administrative Block of S-VYASA University and inaugurated the university’s Thiruvananthapuram off-campus via video conferencing. He released six books authored by H.V. Sheshadri, whose work in Kannada has been translated into Hindi and English, as part of his birth centenary celebrations.

Mr. Modi said he was getting the opportunity to experience the wonderful energy of yoga in Bengaluru. He said Karnataka had been a centre of yoga for centuries, and several yoga teachers and scholars had been born in the State and had enriched the tradition. He cited Kannada cinema legend Dr. Rajkumar as an example of personalities who had contributed to yoga alongside their work in the world of art

Actor Rajkumar performing yoga. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited Kannada cinema legend Dr. Rajkumar as an example of personalities who had contributed to yoga alongside their work in the world of art | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The 50-year journey of S-VYASA Prashanti Kutiram was a story of service and dedication that every Indian should know. He said the way a simple yoga centre had grown into a large movement was an inspiration in itself.

He paid his respects to Mr. Sheshadri on his birth centenary, saying that he had devoted his entire life to the mission of vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman (nation-building through individual development). He said Mr. Sheshadri understood that, for the country to reach the heights of success, it needed ‘dedicated, capable and disciplined’ citizens.

He said Mr. Sheshadri devoted himself entirely to preparing such citizens. The goals he pursued while working in the RSS continue to inspire crores of swayamsevaks even today. Whenever people remembered Mr. Sheshadri, the first thing that came to mind was his simple nature. Despite his stature and vast experience, he was humble in his behaviour. He believed in staying behind and bringing others forward, bringing people together, and preparing them for the country. This was a major part of his life’s work.

He said Mr. Sheshadri often gave the example of a mother, who stays awake the whole night to care for her child, looks after the child, and works without any selfish motive. If the same feeling was extended to society, it could benefit society greatly. Mr. Sheshadri was devoted to serving society with the same selflessness as a mother.

Mr. Modi said he had received Mr. Sheshadri’s affection and guidance over the years, and that the memories of the time spent with him and his words remained precious to him.

Recalling one of his sayings, Mr. Modi said Mr. Sheshadri would often say that ‘if one gave to society with both hands, society returned it with lakhs of hands’. He said he had seen this come true repeatedly in his own life. While serving the people, he had always received their blessings, which is one of his biggest assets.

He said that when India was caught in the chains of slavery, lakhs of freedom-fighters were fighting for independence, while national spiritual leaders, such as Swami Vivekananda, were awakening India’s spiritual consciousness and showing the country’s youth the path of yoga.

He said the inspiration from sages, such as Swami Vivekananda, had led to the establishment of institutions such as Prashanti Kutiram. The institution had not only worked to take yoga to people but had also conducted research to test it against modern scientific standards.

Mr. Modi said that, in the last 12 years, India had presented its culture, identity, and knowledge and science before the world with full confidence. ‘As a result of this, the entire world now celebrates International Yoga Day’.

He said that yoga had now reached schools, institutions and workplaces in many countries. In Saudi Arabia, he said yoga had been recognised as a sporting activity, and its Sports Ministry had signed an agreement with India’s Ministry of Ayush to promote yoga.

Mr. Modi said that whenever he travelled abroad, yoga almost always came up in conversations during lunches or dinners with foreign guests and heads of State

He said that in the families of several prominent world leaders, there was someone or the other associated with yoga. This showed how far India had reached through yoga. “Yoga has become a gateway for the world to know India.”

He said he had seen foreign nationals, such as members of Qatar’s royal family, being deeply devoted to yoga. He added that India had honoured several such people with the Padma Shri. He said the government’s effort was to take the benefits of ayurveda and yoga to every citizen. With holistic healthcare becoming a new movement across the world, there was growing interest in ayurveda and naturopathy. For the first time since Independence, a separate Ministry of Ayush had been created in the country he said.

Mr. Modi said exports of Ayush products were increasing and that the economy associated with the Ayush sector had grown to several lakh crore of rupees. He said turmeric, which Indian families had used in their food and household practices for generations, was now seeing growing demand across the world

To give a boost to turmeric production, quality and exports, the government had set up the National Turmeric Board.

Mr. Modi said that 140 crore Indians were working towards the shared goal of building a Viksit Bharat. A recent World Bank report had provided fresh impetus to this effort noting that nearly 50 crore Indians had come out of ‘extreme poverty’ over the past 12 to 13 years, he said.

He said these crores of families now had new opportunities for a better life. The effort should be to make a healthy lifestyle a priority for every family, and yoga could play a major role in this. He said he always maintained that yoga brought rog mukti (freedom from disease) as well as bhog mukti (freedom from material indulgence).

He said yoga is the biggest health gift that comes at zero cost. He urged the university to prepare a roadmap for new goals for the next 25 years, with a focus on contributing to Viksit Bharat.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said Mr. Sheshadri had been a source of guidance to swayamsevaks (volunteers of RSS) like him. He said that countless people, including himself, had been associated with Mr. Sheshadri over the years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, had been closely acquainted with Mr. Sheshadri, he said.

Mr. Hosabale said Mr. Sheshadri completed his M.Sc. and worked as a teacher for a short period before dedicating himself to nation-building through the RSS, where he became a swayamsevak (volunteer). He stayed in the S-VYASA campus for a long time.

As an RSS swayamsevak and later a pracharak (full-time worker), Mr. Sheshadri held various responsibilities. He served as the RSS Sarkaryavah (general secretary) for 13 years.

Mr. Hosabale said Mr. Sheshadri believed that yoga should not be viewed only in terms of an individual’s physical and mental health. He saw yoga from India’s perspective as something that could benefit all of humanity. He believed that the different dimensions of yoga could play a significant role in guiding humankind in the future, especially at a time when people were experiencing stress due to modern life.

Mr. Sheshadri had written a small book on yoga. His interest was not limited to the benefits of yoga for one’s own health or personal practice. He would speak to people visiting the S-VYASA campus about how yoga should become a part of their lives and how, through a yogic way of life, they could make their lives meaningful. He explained in different ways and from different perspectives how a yogic way of life could contribute to nation-building, service, social transformation, and the progress of others.

After the event, Mr. Modi, who is in Bengaluru to inaugurate the elevated stretch of the Pink Line of Namma Metro, left for S.G. Palya (Suddagunte Palya) metro station. He is scheduled to flag off the metro service and travel on the train from S.G. Palya station to Bilekahalli-IIMB Metro Station.