Lists major milestones including Art 370 abrogation
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the last 10 years have redefined India, marking an era of unprecedented political, cultural and developmental change.
Shah was addressing the “Centenary Year Ceremony – 2026” organized by the Gayatri Parivar in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, on the occasion of the birth centenary of the revered Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma Ji and the centenary year of the Akhand Deep.
Shah said that in the past 10 years, unprecedented changes have taken place in the country. For 550 years, Ram Lalla was seated in an insulting arrangement, but today a grand Ram Temple has been constructed in Ayodhya at that very site.
He said that the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which was demolished by Aurangzeb, has today been rebuilt and stands in its full grandeur. After being destroyed 16 times, the Somnath Temple today stands with unparalleled dignity and honor, hoisting the magnificent flag of Sanatan Dharma to its highest peak.
Shah said that Article 370 has been abrogated and the country has moved forward on the path of a Common Civil Code.
He stated that there was a time when people hesitated even to speak about Hindutva, but today they proudly talk about their religion.
On this occasion, several distinguished dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, were present.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, said that Haridwar is a confluence of faith, spirituality, and culture. He said, by coming to the ‘Akhand Jyoti’ Conference today, I am experiencing unbroken energy and consciousness.
He stated that the revered Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Ji chose the path of individual transformation to revive faith, spirituality, and culture. He worked to awaken and energize the divine soul residing within every individual.
Shah said that those who know Sanatan Dharma, understand Indian culture, and are familiar with India’s history have a firm belief that if solutions to all problems of the world exist in one place, it is within the Indian tradition itself.
Amit Shah said that the spiritual reconstruction of India will be beneficial not only for India but for the entire world.
Great visionaries such as Swami Vivekananda Ji, Maharshi Aurobindo Ji, and the revered Pandit Ram Sharma Ji have all expressed, through their powerful words, the belief that when India awakens with its full radiance, it will illuminate the entire world and the whole universe.
Shah added that the words of such great souls and visionaries never fail.
We must move forward by accepting the truthful words spoken by them as the word of Brahma. He further said that Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Ji, through the Gayatri Mantra, brought devotion out of the sanctum of the temple and carried it to the lips and souls of the common people.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the visionary Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Acharya and the revered Mata Bhagwati Devi, during their very lifetimes, accomplished the work of many eras.
They created a banyan tree whose shade today guides more than 15 crore followers in over 100 countries along the path of spirituality, helping them advance on the path of the welfare of their souls.
He said that moving along a single path with a single goal from 1925–26 to 2026—carrying not just one individual and one idea, but millions of people together—proves the immense energy inherent in Pandit Ji’s life, thoughts, and actions.
Shah said that even so many years after Pandit Ji’s passing, the Akhand Jyoti has not only continued to burn but has also taken a permanent place as a lamp in the hearts of millions of people.
Amit Shah said that 1925–26 was a year of national resurgence. In that very year, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was founded and it too is celebrating its centenary.
Gita Press, Gorakhpur, is also marking 100 years since its establishment, and this year is likewise the birth centenary of the revered Mata Ji.
He said that the convergence of all these in the same year signifies that God must have created that year specifically for the resurgence of India.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that this is the centenary year programme of the Gayatri Parivar.
He said that for an individual, a lifespan of 100 years is considered a form of completeness, but for institutions that work for individual transformation and national resurgence, it represents a formative stage, in which they move forward with renewed energy.
Shah said that Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Ji connected millions of people with the Gayatri Mantra, Gayatri worship, and Gayatri spiritual practice.
India will never be free of the debt it owes to Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Ji. He connected millions of people with the movement of individual transformation and devotion, guided them on the path of spirituality, and revitalized the Gayatri Mantra.
Without discrimination of caste, community, or gender, he showed every soul, through the Gayatri Mantra, the path to welfare and upliftment. The Home Minister said that Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Ji received guidance from Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya Ji to take the knowledge of the Gayatri Mantra to the masses and made it the guiding mantra of his life.
Amit Shah said that in 1971, the divine light manifested on this sacred land, Shantikunj was established, and crores of people began to walk on the path shown by Gurudev.
He said that no religion, religious leader, or philosophy can change an era. Pandit ji gave the maxim, “Hum Badlenge, Yug Badlega” (We will change, the era will change) and this principle showed the way to the entire nation.
He said that until the individual, the nation, and the times change, the question of changing an era does not arise. If every individual begins to walk on the path of spirituality, an era transforms on its own.
In no time, 15 crore families became associated with this movement. Shah said that there is a deep connection between “We will change, the era will change” and the Gayatri Mantra.
The Gayatri Mantra is not merely a mantra composed in Sanskrit; its 24 syllables awaken 24 noble spiritual centers.
The 24 syllables of the Gayatri Mantra balance the 24 spiritual centers associated with virtues, when these 24 virtues are developed, it enhances altruism, courage, and intellect.
The Gayatri Mantra, recited from the navel while seated in Padmasana, awakens and activates the noble centers within us.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the history of the freedom struggle before the adolescents and youth of the country.
Freedom fighters were searched out in every village and their glory was celebrated. In the 75th year of independence, the Amrit Kaal was declared, which represents the journey from 75 to 100 years of independence.
He said that when all of us Indians celebrate the centenary of independence on 15 August 2047, we will create a Bharat that will be first in the world in every field.
Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented a vision of India that is fully developed, transcends materialism, and advances along the path of spirituality. (PIB)
