The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for creating a cultural renaissance in the country by propagating and practicing India’s time-tested traditions and customs.
Speaking on the occasion of Sankranthi and the second anniversary celebrations of Swarna Bharati Trust in Hyderabad, the Vice President said the time has come for all Indians to adopt changes in their lifestyles and return to the old traditional methods of healthy living.
“We need to follow the customs and practices of our forefathers and abandon the western-oriented lifestyles,” he said, further expounding the topic of cultural renaissance.
Healthy dietary habits
He said cultural renaissance includes adhering to time tested traditional food habits, flavours and customs. These were healthy too as they were tailor-made to suit the requirements of each season and region.
“We need to create awareness and educate the youth for adopting healthy dietary habits and lifestyles by returning to our simple but effective ways of living. Similarly, the ancient Indian art of Yoga creates a fusion of a healthy mind and healthy body,” he added.
Agriculture backbone of Indian economy
Shri Naidu also called upon the youth to pay renewed attention to agriculture, which is the backbone of Indian economy. He said the need of the hour was to accord greater prominence to natural farming and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.
The agriculture sector has to change to make it sustainable and remunerative, adding that structural changes in agriculture were needed through policy interventions of the Centre and various State Governments.
Importance of the mother tongue
Referring to the importance of mother tongue and native languages, he said everyone should strive to protect, promote and use their mother tongue.
He said there was a need to protect family values as the traditional family system was the pride of India. Our traditions and customs not only strengthen the social fabric, but also create a bonding among different sections.
The Vice President said that Indians always believed in the philosophy of sharing, caring and respecting nature. “On this Sankranthi festival, let us all rededicate ourselves in the cause of building a healthy, strong, prosperous and inclusive India.”
