Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 13 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday attended the Shiv Mahapuran Katha organised by State Cabinet Minister Manoj Kumar Pandey in Raebareli, where he spoke about the role of religion in society and highlighted the common devotion to Lord Shiva across different regions of the country.
Addressing the gathering, Adityanath said religion should not be viewed merely as a mode of worship but as the “life force of society”. He linked the challenges faced by the country in the past to political weaknesses and recalled the role played by poet-saint Tulsidas during the medieval period.
“We have not limited religion merely to a mode of worship; instead, we have regarded it as the life force of society,” Adityanath said.
He said the country had been forced to confront foreign invaders because of political weaknesses. Referring to Tulsidas, the chief minister said he worked through the medium of the Ramkatha during the medieval period when religion was under attack.
According to CM Adityanath, Tulsidas used the Ramkatha to bring people together at a time when society was facing challenges.
"Tulsidas worked through the medium of the Ramkatha during the medieval period... At that time, religion was under attack, and Tulsidas worked to unite society through the Ramkatha," he said.
The chief minister also emphasised the cultural and spiritual connections shared by people across different parts of India. He said differences in customs, food habits and lifestyles do not change the underlying devotion to Lord Shiva among followers of Sanatan Dharma.
“Customs, diet, and lifestyles may differ; yet, the devotion to Shiva found among the citizens of Tamil Nadu is the very same devotion shared by the faithful in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, by the followers of Sanatan Dharma in the Northeast, and by the devotees in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” he added. (ANI)
Yogi Adityanath says religion is life force of society, recalls Tulsidas’ role in uniting people
