LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday addressed the inaugural session of a national convention of Arogya Bharati, emphasizing on the important role played by AYUSH during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"During the pandemic, turmeric's power and potency was felt all over the world. For thousands of years, turmeric has played a significant role in our daily lives," Adityanath said at the two-day conference, asserting that every Indian family includes turmeric in its daily diet.
He said although the world may have recognised AYUSH's power during the coronavirus outbreak, "soon after becoming prime minister in 2014, Narendra Modi had worked to form a new ministry by connecting all departments related to AYUSH. This shows that we already had the capability, but never gave any weight to it."
It was similar for yoga, Adityanath said, and added, "With the efforts of the prime minister, June 21 was declared World Yoga Day. And not just India but around 175 nations showed enthusiasm for taking up yoga. The perception of yoga that exists throughout the world reflects India's perspective on optimal health."
Referring to Uttar Pradesh's improved healthcare system, the chief minister said for a period of 70 years from 1947 to 2017, Uttar Pradesh, a state with a population of 25 crore, had just 12 medical colleges.
For the last five-and-a-half years, the government has been working towards the aim of 'One District, One Medical College'. In 16 districts of the state, medical colleges are being built on PPP mode, he said.
A healthy society is the foundation of a healthy nation, and it is necessary to promote the well-being of each individual "if we want to create a healthy society," the chief minister said.
He went on to say that if India's performance during the COVID-19 period was better than any other country, it was because of the fact that in addition to the government machinery, voluntary organisations actively participated.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also attended the event virtually, an official spokesperson said.
Speaking on the occasion, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) joint general secretary Dr Manmohan Vaidya said India has a culture that celebrates diversity. "The description of India as a country of diverse culture is not true. The truth is India has a culture that celebrates diversity," he said.
Recalling the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vaidya said that unlike other countries, people in India reached out to help others despite the threat of the pandemic.
"So, if we awaken the identity of India among everyone, the divisive forces working and trying to create differences will not succeed," he said. Dharma does not discriminate, it binds all, connects all and unites all, Vaidya added.
Citing Swami Vivekananda, Vaidya said that the Indian culture goes beyond just tolerance and believes in "inclusivity and taking everyone along".
"Tolerance has not been a speciality of India, and Swami Vivekananda said this in his speech. Because in tolerance, there is a type of intolerance. Swamiji said we go beyond tolerance. He had also said he was proud that in Sanskrit language, there was no word for exclusion. This is because we do not leave anyone out. The speciality of Bharat is to include all, take everyone along and move (on)," Vaidya said.
He added that the spirituality-based way of life makes Bharat distinct.
