'Seers should come together for society's well being'

Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade called upon Hindu seers of various congregations to come together for the betterment of society and to rediscover humanity among people.

He was presiding over Rashtriya Dharma Samsad-2018 at Sri Rama Kshetra Mahasamsthanam at Nityananda Nagar, Dharmasthala, on Monday, organised to mark the decennial celebrations of the coronation of Sri Ramakshetra Mahasamsthana Jagadguru Peetha pontiff Sri Brahmananda Saraswathi Swami.

Heggade said the idea behind of Rashtriya Samsad is to develop a national school of thought based on integration, harmony and humanity. The pontiffs of various mutts should guide people to develop faith in national ideologies. At the same time, it is important for the people to be righteous. Righteousness is to strike a perfect balance between human desires and to do away with mundane concerns, towards spiritual attainment.

“To discover God in our hearts is very necessary. When the belief in God is genuine, other blind faiths will vanish. The path of righteousness or Dharma should be traced in the light of humanity,” he felt.

Delivering the inaugural address, Mahanta Devananda Saraswathi Swami of Panchadashanan, Juna Akhad, said that during the Dharma Samsad, good thoughts will be churned out, in an effort to re-establish righteousness. Today’s education system is based on the model given by Lord Macaulay, which does not suit to the Indian context. The students of today are compelled towards Western culture, which is misleading, he added.

Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said that the seers teach “Rajadharma” to the administrators which is very much necessary in today’s context.Dharma Samsad is a refreshing course for the society. Some opportunists are misleading the society. Those who support extremists and anti-social elements are traitors and they should be done away with, he said.

Sri Ramakshetra Mahasamsthanam Jagadguru Peetha pontiff Sri Brahmananda Saraswathi Swami said, “To know about the self is the motto of life. We may need Western knowledge but not western culture,” he said and urged to implement Indian culture in schools.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Rajya Sabha member B K Hariprasad also spoke. As many as 108 seers from various disciplines across the country were offered padapuja.Naga Sadhus, Seetharam tradition, Nath Panth, Tyagi, Bairagi and other sects’ seers took part in the conference.

The Rashtriya Dharma Samsad resolved to urge the government to adopt the Gurukula model of education in anganwadis, within the next 10 years. Also, a saints’ welfare fund should be instituted by the Central government. The education system should be based on the values of Indian culture and the Hindu saints should be consulted by the government while framing the new curriculum, the Samsad resolved.

Rashtriya Dharma Samsad general convener Satyajith Surathkal delivered the keynote address. Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja was present.