Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM releases the book `The Cultural Heritage of India'

"I consider it a privilege to release this volume. I have the highest regard for the Ramakrishna Mission and what is stands for and also for Shrimati Kapila Vatsyayan. I am delighted that the Mission's Institute of Culture has taken this momentous initiative to bring out this series on our varied cultural heritage. I am sure that these volumes will remain a precious treasure house of ideas and information and source of inspiration about our priceless heritage.

The wide range of contributors to this volume testify to the vibrancy of our intellectual traditions. On this occasion I must pay tribute to all those great daughters and sons of India who have built the Ramakrishna Mission and have contributed to its valued role in modern India. The establishment of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture in 1938, to commemorate the centenary of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa, was an important landmark in our modern intellectual history. I congratulate the Institute for its commitment to high scholarship and to promoting traditional values.

For thousands of years, India's emotional unity has been fostered by its vibrant and plural culture. The vitality of our country, the splendour of our heritage and the magnificence of our tradition have been shaped by the enduring legacy of our diverse culture. It has withstood many challenges across the ages and defined our enduring and composite national identity.

The pluralistic ideas and values of our culture have proved resilient enough to withstand the test of time and the impact of change. Swami Vivekananda understood the richness of our culture and once posed the question " Is it possible ... to throw off the culture of shining scores of centuries?" Our confident answer as a nation has been a resounding NO!

By bringing out these volumes on the Cultural Heritage of India, the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture is fulfilling the vision of both Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda. I must also pay tribute to two of their greatest disciples who have contributed to this great intellectual and creative effort. These are the late Swami Ranganathanandaji and the late Swami Lokeswaranandaji. Both of them were towering intellectual personalities who nurtured the Institute of Culture and the Ramakrishna Mission. They were both keen and wise minds whose wisdom, knowledge, experience and learning illuminated our lives. They ensured that the Mission and the Institute contributed to the spiritual regeneration of India and to be a source of new awakening in us.

As we progress as a modern nation and get international recognition for our achievements, we must anchor our efforts on the abiding values of our spiritual ethos. We look upon the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture to guide our nation and the world in this regard.

The academic endeavour of the Institute has resulted in the publication of seven volumes on Indian Cultural Heritage. These volumes offer a panoramic view of our splendid heritage. I am not surprised that these volumes deal not just with Hindu religion and culture but also with all religious and cultural influences which have prevailed and which have influenced the course of our magnificent civilization. That, after all, is the greatness of our civilization. Our composite culture is our greatest legacy. The Ramakrishna Mission is one of the finest examples and the embodiment of the spirit of that composite culture. By focusing on the common cultural threads that weave together our diverse religions, these volumes promote the cause of interfaith harmony and co-existence.

I am delighted to see that one volume specifically deals with science and technology and establishes its integral link with culture and spiritualism in our country. Swami Vivekananda, as indeed Swami Ranganathananda, were modern minds imbued with scientific temper. Their spiritualism was based on a modern and holistic understanding of human society and the human being. They rejected intolerance as well as ritualism. They rejected an inward and backward looking view of our destiny on this planet. Rather, they looked ahead and sought inspiration from our past in facing the challenges of a fast changing world in which we live in.

The Seventh volume should add to our understanding of our rich heritage and shape our perspectives on our culture. I have often stated that India is a living example of the confluence of civilisations. For thousands of years we have remained open to ideas, thoughts and influences from all over the world. The creation of an inclusive society and culture in this sacred land owes a lot to this basic synthetic approach.

We need to strengthen such an approach to defeat forces that believe in an exclusivist culture. I also urge our people to take a more liberal view of the outside world. I have seen it remarked in the media that some think China is a closed society but with an open mind and we are an open society with a closed mind. This should not be the case. We must derive confidence from the greatness of our past to be able to deal more confidently with the present and the challenges of the future. Why should we be inward-looking and suspicious of foreign influences when we have so much to offer to the world?

I once again congratulate all those associated with the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture for taking this very important initiative in bringing out this volume. Kapila ji deserves special thanks for her painstaking efforts in editing it. She herself is the embodiment of finest values of our culture and has served in many capacities to promote cultural values in India and abroad. The volume bears the imprint of her knowledge and her deep devotion to the Indian culture and civilization. I thank her for this labour of love."