NEW DELHI: Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said that using charity to influence the faith of the beneficiary poses serious consequences in a democracy, advocating for unconditional assistance to the needy. Addressing students at Adichunchanagiri University in B.G. Nagara, Mandya in Karnataka, on Friday, Dhankar said that, charity, assistance, or such hand-holding assistance needs to be with no strings attached. “Our civilizational ethos tells us, never to speak of charity. Charity is never to be claimed. You do it, and you forget about it”, he said.He also emphasized that charity putting freedom of faith in captivity is a cause of concern. “When you influence the faith of the needy, the marginalized, the vulnerable, things become very critical”,said, issuing a caution that such actions could have serious consequences on the spirit of nationalism and constitutional values.The vice-president further emphasized that Bharat as a nation can give guidance to anyone on the planet on what is inclusivity. “Surely, we don’t need lessons in something we have lived through for more than 5,000 years”,he remarked. “This philosophy alone is sustainable and makes for global peace and harmony, but some people have a different concept of inclusivity that is destructive of a sense of inclusivity. We have to be cautious about this”, Dhankar said.Praising the Adichunchanagiri Math for its extensive social work through its 26 Shakha Maths globally and 500 educational institutions under the Sri Adichunchanagiri Shikshana Trust, the vice-president said schools for the Blind, Deaf, and Dumb’s service to the marginalized is exemplary.Indeed, a befitting response to critics of Sanatan Dharma, he highlighted the role of religious institutions during crisis saying,adding that religious institutions have repeatedly supported government efforts in times of crisis, notably during the Covid pandemic. Addressing the students, he urged India’s youth to break away from the traditional pursuit of government jobs and instead explore the expanding career opportunities emerging in a rapidly advancing India.He strongly cautioned the youth saying, there are elements in the country who engage extensively in the dissemination of misinformation, and disinformation. This dissemination is very injurious to national health.H.D. Devegowda, former Prime Minister of India; His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri Sri Dr. Nirmalanandanatha Mahaswamiji; HH Jagadguru Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati Ji, Dr. M.A. Shekhar, Vice Chancellor of Adichunchanagiri University, and other dignitaries took part in the event
Source link
