Mysuru, DHNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that knowledge and information are the new ammunition in the new age and India’s sages had realised this thousands of years ago.

Inaugurating the centenary celebrations of the late seer of Suttur mutt Shivaratri Rajendra Swami at Maharaja’s College grounds here on Saturday, the prime minister said that one cannot run a nation with just money and military power.

“The world understands that knowledge is power and it has been accorded utmost importance in India since ages. Now, technology is so advanced that innovations are surpassing our dreams and imagination. But, can we expect miracles in the field of knowledge and information? That is why seers and pontiffs are establishing seats of higher education. The spiritual and religious institutions are actually doing what the governments should be doing. They are helping ease the government’s burden,” he said.

Recalling the unveiling of a statue of social reformer Basaveshwara in London recently, Modi said that he was happy to be associated with the legacy of the great reformer by visiting the Suttur mutt, which is a major centre for prorogating Basaveshwara’s principles. “Today, we are talking about democracy, social equality and women’s empowerment, but Basaveshwara not only preached them, he practised them some 900 years ago. Whenever society was treading a wrong path due to degeneration of values, our saints have emerged as reformers and have saved society,” he said.

Describing Mahatma Gandhi as a saint, Modi said that the saints emerged as leaders in the 20th century and stepped out to reform society through education and social movements. “Even the 1857 uprising was influenced by spiritual leaders, while it was taken to a logical end in 1947, again by a saint,” he said. Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated a new building of Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Hospital on the premises of Sri Avadhoota Datta Peetha.

Photo credit: DHNS