Sanatan Dharma India’s original faith, we only forgot ourselves: Yogi Adityanath

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meets flood-affected families in Kushinagar on Tuesday. (ANI)

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that Sanatan Dharma is India’s original faith and that the country cannot even be imagined without it.

Addressing a religious event at the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur, the CM said, “Our shortcoming was that we forgot ourselves. We had everything. When the world was living in darkness, India had the most civilised, cultured and strongest tradition.”

“Those who have not recognised the essence of Uttar Pradesh’s Sanatan dharmanagaris will not be able to understand UP and India. Those who have not understood the dignity of Ayodhya, the consciousness of Kashi, devotion of Mathura-Vrindavan and social harmony of Kumbhnagari Prayagraj, how will they be able to understand Uttar Pradesh and India?” he added.

He further said, “Cow embodies the identity of Sanatan. According to the Sanatan  tradition, the first morsel is for gomata (cow). If every Sanatani followed this practice, cows would not be wandering on the roads today. Similarly, the final morsel is considered to be for the dog. ple followed this practice, stray dogs on the roads would not prey on passers-by. We did not follow the tradition of our sages and seers.”

“One of the names of mother earth is Gomata. If we want to save mother earth, we will also have to save gomata. Government is making every effort at its level for the protection and promotion of gomata, but citizens will also have to fulfill their responsibility.”

He informed that more than 16 lakh cattle are being reared and cared for in the state at over 7,000 gaushalas.

To protect cow and cattle, the government also provides farmers financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per cattle per month for keeping destitute cattle, he said.

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“The milk of an indigenous Indian-breed cow is like nectar. The general public can also earn punya by becoming partners in the operation of gaushalas.”

“Adopt cattle in a gaushala. Make arrangements accordingly and worship them by applying tilak on Gopashtami. By doing so, your home will be filled with wealth and prosperity, life will become happy, you will attain all forms of good health,” he claimed.

 Rs 4 lakh to families of dead in floods

CM Adityanath on Tuesday announced financial aid for flood-hit families in Tamkuhiraj, including Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the deceased and replacement of damaged houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana.

The CM directed officials to survey crop losses and ensure compensation to affected farmers within 10 days.

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He said the government would provide financial assistance to repair partially damaged houses. After taking stock of the flood situation caused by rising water levels in the Narayani River, he met affected families at Bedupar Inter College and distributed relief material to some families.

He said 5,000 packets of food material had been arranged. Each packet contains 10 kilograms of rice, flour, and potatoes; two kilograms of pulses; and gram, oil, spices, salt, and other essential items.

“Every affected family will be provided all possible assistance,” Adityanath said, while directing officials to shift people to relief camps and ensure adequate lighting there. The chief minister said heavy rainfall for four consecutive days had caused flooding in several parts of the country and Nepal.

He said water from Nepal was also flowing downstream.

“Normally, three to four lakh cusecs of water flows through the Narayani, but it suddenly rose to around 5.5 lakh cusecs,” Adityanath said, adding that the surge breached the embankment and inundated several houses. The government has been monitoring the situation since Monday, and the weather had now improved, he said. —PTI inputs