Victory to Lord Shri Ram!

Victory to Lord Shri Ram!

Victory to Lord Shri Ram!

On this sacred occasion of Vijayadashami, I bow at the feet of Lord Shri Ram, Mother Janaki, and Bajrang Bali. In this holy atmosphere, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on Vijayadashami.

Friends,

Today, every corner of India is immersed in devotion to Lord Ram. Village after village, city after city, the nation is absorbed in the spirit of Ramleela. The staging of Ramleelas across the country, the tradition of keeping alive the ideals of Lord Shri Ram, the proclamation of the end of tyranny and terror, and the faith in the eternal victory of truth over falsehood, for us, this is not merely a festival. It is the life force of India. Therefore, today, when every citizen of the nation is proclaiming the victory of righteousness over unrighteousness, come, once again, repeat after me:

Victory to Lord Shri Ram!

Victory to Lord Shri Ram!

Victory to Lord Shri Ram!

Friends,

This nation, its culture, and its ancestors have worshipped Lord Shri Ram for thousands of years. This faith exists not only because Shri Ram brought an end to the demon king Ravana. This faith also exists because Lord Ram gave us ideals that are unparalleled in the history of humanity.

Friends,

Lord Shri Ram faced countless difficulties in his life, yet he never abandoned the path of truth and righteousness. Such was his character: "Prasannatam ya na gata abhishekatah tatha, na mamle vanavasa duhkhatoh." This means that Lord Ram neither became elated upon receiving the kingdom nor became distressed by the sorrow of exile in the forest. Despite enduring every adversity, he upheld righteousness and established truth. When Lord Ram went into the forest, he embraced Nishadraj and honoured Mother Shabari. He established the highest standards of compassion, kindness, love, and harmony. And when Lord Ram returned and became the king of Ayodhya, he established such a Ram Rajya that even today it is considered the benchmark of good governance. Ram Rajya means a system where there is no discrimination against anyone, where everyone receives justice, where everyone gets equal opportunities, where the purpose of power is not to rule but to serve the welfare of the people. That is why Goswami Tulsidas ji wrote: "Daihik daivik bhautik tapa, Ram raj nahin kahuhi vyapa." This is the ideal of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram. Therefore, we must always regard the people as divine and move forward with the mantra of Citizen First. We must place service to the poor and the deprived above everything else.

Friends,

We receive a very great lesson from the life of Lord Ram. No matter how great the crisis may be, no matter how difficult the challenge, we must not sit waiting for others. We must recognise our own strength. We must trust our own resources. We must turn our resolve into power. And we must find solutions through our own hard work. Lord Ram taught us that difficulties on the path cannot stop our journey. The ocean stood before him. Lanka was far away. But the resolve was unwavering. Therefore, Lord Ram awakened the collective strength of the people. He made public participation his support. He united the available resources. And he made a goal that seemed impossible. This is the fundamental mantra of success. Faith in our own strength. Confidence in our own capability. Proper utilisation of our own resources. And unwavering commitment to our goal. Today, we too must move forward with this same mantra. Before us stands the goal of a Developed India. Before us stands the goal of a Self-Reliant India. Through the power of the people and for the welfare of the people, we must fulfil every aspiration of our citizens. And for this too, we must draw inspiration from Lord Ram.

Friends,

A nation progresses only when it possesses self-respect. And heritage plays a very important role in this self-respect. Therefore, today the country is committed to preserving its heritage and identity. For centuries, our treasures were looted and taken abroad. But today, we are bringing those treasures back. In the past twelve years, more than six hundred and fifty ancient idols have been brought back to India. Similarly, India is giving new global recognition to its cultural centres. In recent years, many of our sites have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Last year, even Diwali was included by UNESCO in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is the result of the collective willpower of millions of Indians. We must continue to work with the same dedication.

Friends,

Vijayadashami is the festival of victory. It is the festival of triumph. This festival gives us the courage to believe that no matter how powerful the enemy may be, when we stand with truth and humanity, victory ultimately belongs to us. This spirit of Vijayadashami has always been India's guiding philosophy. Our sages inspired us: "Samano mantrah samitih samani, samanam manah saha chittamesham." This means that our thoughts should be united, our councils should be united, and all institutions of the nation, all political parties, should stand together in the national interest. We must move forward with this spirit. We must unite against the enemies of the nation. Those forces that attack the honour and dignity of the country, those who divide society, and those who harbour hatred towards our culture, are enemies of the nation. On this auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, we must once again renew our resolve. We must identify the enemies of Mother India. We must defeat them. And, taking the pledge of Nation First, everyone must come together. I am confident that the vision we expressed during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ayodhya Temple, “From Ram to Nation” and “From Divinity to National Duty,” will certainly be fulfilled. I once again extend my heartfelt greetings to all countrymen on Dussehra.

Jai Siya Ram!

Jai Siya Ram!

Jai Siya Ram!

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

Thank you very much.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of Prime Minister’s address. Original address was delivered in Hindi.

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MJPS/SS/VJ/ST

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