PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said an education system based on Indian values is the need of the hour.

He was virtually addressing an event organised to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Arya Samaj founder Swami Dayanand Saraswati at his birth place Tankara in Gujarat’s Morbi district. Modi hailed the social reformer who had called for the Indian society to return to the Vedas at a time when people were trapped in slavery and superstitions engulfed the country. He said Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born at a time when Indians were trapped in slavery and social evils.

 

“Swami Dayanandji then told the country how our stereotypes of orthodoxy and superstitions had engulfed the country, and weakened our scientific thinking. These social evils had attacked our unity,” Modi said. “A section of the society was continuously moving away from the Indian culture and spirituality. In such times, Swami Dayanandji called for returning to the Vedas,” he said. The PM said Maharshi Dayanand was “not only a world sage, but also a sage of national consciousness.” The Arya Samaj founder gave a logical explanation on the Vedas, openly attacked the stereotypes of orthodoxy and explained what is the real nature of Indian philosophy, he said.

 

“The result was that confidence started returning in the society. People started knowing the Vedic religion and started connecting with its teachings,” Modi said. Revolutionaries like Lala Lajpat Rai, Ram Prasad Bismil and Swami Shraddhanand among others stood up who were influenced by the Arya Samaj, he said. The PM said the milestone of 200 years of Swami Dayanand Saraswati’s birth has come at a time when India is in the initial years of its “Amrit Kaal”. The PM also said he was fortunate to be born in Gujarat, where Swami Dayanand Saraswati was born and work in the state which was his “karmabhoomi”.