New Delhi: Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah presided as Chief Guest over the 5th International Ramayan Festival organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), in New Delhi today.
The Home Minister said that ICCR was established with the vision of propagating Indian culture and its values to the whole world. There is no other better way to realize this vision than organizing the Ramayan festival, he added.
Shri Shah said that International Ramayan Festival is being organized for 5th year in row, during which 17 countries have participated with their artists and rendered their versions of Ramayan. Ramayan is one such scripture that has transcended Personal, Societal, Religious, Cultural and National boundaries and reached a Global audience, he added.
The Home Minister noted that Ramayan is the treasure of centuries old Indian culture and has solutions to all problems in the world. It is an unparalleled creation by Maharishi Valmiki on the life and values of an ideal human being. It beautifully depicts the highs and lows of human life and answers questions on morality and ethics arising out of difficult situations in life.
Shri Shah added that Ramayan goes beyond this and has even explained difficult concepts like good governance, art of war, science and technology, protecting dignity of women, among others, through conversations between the different characters in the scripture.
In the end, Shri Shah congratulated ICCR and its efforts to take Indian culture and its ambassador ‘Ramayan’, to the whole world. He concluded his address by appealing to all people to imbibe values from Ramayan in their lives and strive to become an ideal human being.
