India won't bow its head: PM in Udupi

Udupi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the new India will neither bow its head nor compromise on the nation’s peace and stability, declaring that the country today is fortified with a defence doctrine rooted in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

Addressing the Laksha Kantha Gita Parayana programme at Sri Krishna Mutt, he said that while the message of Sri Krishna’s compassion is conveyed from the Red Fort, it is from the same historic ramparts that the announcement of Mission Sudarshan Chakra is made.

Explaining the concept, he said Mission Sudarshan Chakra involves creating an impenetrable protective wall around India’s key locations and industrial and public sectors.

The prime minister, who was conferred the ‘Bharatha Bhagya Vidata’ title by Paryaya Puthige Mutt seer Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji said, “If the enemy dares to show audacity, India’s Sudarshan Chakra will destroy them.”

Recalling the government’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Modi said the swift launch of Operation Sindoor symbolised the resolve of a nation that refuses to remain passive in the face of aggression. He noted that many victims of the attack were from Karnataka.

“Earlier, when such attacks happened, governments would sit idle. But this is a new India — one that neither bows before anyone nor hesitates in fulfilling its duty to protect its citizens. India knows how to establish peace and how to safeguard it,” he asserted.

Shifting to the spiritual significance of the occasion, the prime minister said the collective chanting of the Bhagavad Gita by one lakh voices had created a powerful field of energy symbolising the continuity of India’s civilisational legacy. Calling the event a “rare spiritual fortune”, he said it showcased India’s living heritage to the world.

The prime minister drew a connection between Udupi and Ayodhya, recalling that he had visited the holy city just three days earlier. Modi also acknowledged Udupi’s pivotal role in the Ram Mandir movement, recalling the leadership of the late Vishwesha Tirtha Swami.

He noted that the newly built Ram temple features a “magnificent” gate dedicated to Jagadguru Madhvacharya, which is a matter of “great pride” for the people of Udupi and the nation. 

He said the Ashta Mutts of Udupi, founded by Madhvacharya, remain a living example of institution building and a sacred confluence of “knowledge, devotion and service”, feeding thousands and nurturing spiritual education. 

He further pointed out that Madhvacharya’s tradition inspired the Haridasa movement, with saints like Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa spreading devotion through simple and melodic Kannada compositions that reached every household.