India suffers from cultural slavery even today, says Anurag Thakur

“Under the leadership of PM Modi, there is cultural upliftment and development. India achieved political freedom on August 15, 1947 but is a victim of sanskritik partantrata (cultural slavery) even today. After 2014, cultural nationalism took centre stage in political discourse and I am fully confident that under Modi’s leadership, India will continue to constantly preserve and promote its culture),” the Union Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports said.

Thakur gave the example of the ongoing construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, development of Kashi Vishwanath corridor and Kedarnath to underscore Modi’s thrust on cultural development.

“Sardar Patel got Somnath temple reconstructed and if anyone did the job of beautifying it subsequently, it is Narendra Modi… Modi’s one step after another for cultural upliftment and development of Indian culture have proven that heritage and development can go hand in hand. Today’s India is rediscovering its lost heritage. On the one hand, today’s India is constantly marching on the path of development while also returning to its civilisational and cultural roots,” said Thakur.

President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated the Madhavpur Mela Sunday. The five-day annual cultural fair celebrates Lord Krishna’s marriage to goddess Rukmini, who was from Arunachal Pradesh. In 2018, the state government took over the event by upscaling it and inviting troupes from eight states in the northeast region and their chief ministers to the event.

“The small village of Madhavpur bore witness to the marriage of Lord Krishna and Goddess Rukmini. If someone took up the initiative of starting a fair at an international level in Madhavpur, it is Narendra Modi,” Thakur said.

Criticising the previous Union governments for their policy vis-à-vis the northeast region, he said: “…As soon as Gujarat’s saput (good son), Bharat Ma ke lal (the son of Bharat mata) Narendra Modi got the opportunity to become the prime minister, he came up with the Act-East policy in place of the look-east policy of the previous governments,” he said.

Addressing the meeting, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the geographical distances between various regions of the country have been shrinking after the BJP came to power in the Centre in 2014, thus signifying the integration of the country. “Today, I have come here for Madhavpur Ghed festival. Manipur is on the Myanmar border (in the east). Gujarat and Porbandar are on the (western) border (of the country). It takes four hours for a direct flight to reach here from there. In my heart, I feel we are able to connect India this fast. I am going back the next day. So, India has become that small after the BJP and Modi came (to power),” said Singh while addressing the meeting.