Prime Minister Modi Friday linked his political journey and ideology to Marathi language expressing pride in the fact that a Marathi Keshav Baliram Hedgewar has planted the seed of RSS which is celebrating its centenary year, on Maharashtra soil.
At the inauguration of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan here, while sharing the dice with Sharad Pawar, Modi said,” it has been my privilege along with millions of others to be inspired by RSS to live for the country”.
The remarks acquire significance because of speculation in certain quarters about cooling of vibes between BJP and Sangh, saying that it was through sangh that he connected with Marathi language and its traditions, Modi said RSS has been running a “Sanskar yagya” for the last 100 years to transmit the great tradition and culture of India to the new generation. RSS was founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Hedgewar.
The decision of the organisers, who included Pawar, president of the 98th session of Marathi Sahitya Sabha, to get Modi to inaugurate the Marathi literature festival raised eyebrows in many quarters besides attracting criticism from NCP(;Sharad Chabra Pawar)’s India block alies.
The 148 year old Marathi Literary Festival was last held in Delhi in 1954 with renowned lexicographer Tarkatirtha Lakshman Shastri Joshi as president. On that occasion, the conference was inaugurated by then -PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The trigger for hosting the event in Delhi was the Modi government’s decision to confirm classical language status on Marathi.
On Friday, Modi reciprocated Pawar’s inauguration ceremony. “Today on the invitation of Sharad Pawar, I am getting the opportunity to join this proud tradition”, Modi said.
The audience burst into applause as Modi helped Pawar take his seat and offered him a glass of water. Modi, who was to start the function by lightning the ceremonial lamp requested Pawar, chairman of the event’s reception committee, to come forward and do the Honours with him.
Modi highlightened that a few months ago, Marathi was granted the status of classical language- a recognition that over 12 crore Marathi speakers in India and worldwide had awaited for decades. He described it as a great fortune to have had the opportunity to full fill this long- cherished aspiration.
The Prime Minister said the event was taking place at a significant time when the Nation was witnessing the 350th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj coronation, the 300th birth anniversary of Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar and the 75th anniversary of the Constitution drafted through the efforts of Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Modi said the event was not confined to a single language or region, embodying both the essence of the freedom struggle and the cultural heritage of Maharashtra and the nation.
Nothing that the day coincided with international Mother language day,cited verse by Saint Danyaneshwar and explain that the Marathi language inspired his deep love and affection for its culture.
The Prime Minister said the Marathi language became a proclaimation of liberation from Invaders recalling the valour Maratha Warriors like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Sambhaji Maharaj and Bajirao peshva, who fiercely opposed their enemies. He noted that during the freedom struggle figures like Vasudev Balwant Fadke, Lokmanya Tilak and Veer Savarkar disrupted British rule.
Modi said Mumbai had emerged as the economic capital not only of Maharashtra but of the entire country. “When speaking of Mumbai, one cannot complete the discussion without mentioning films. It is Maharashtra and Mumbai they have elevated both Marathi films and Hindi cinema”, he said citing the current popularity of the movie “Chhava,” which has brought the velour of Sambhaji Maharaj to the fofront, inspired by Shivaji Sawant Marathi novel.
Note: it is true typed copy
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