India’s progress must go hand in hand with Karnataka’s: CM tells Modi
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday (August 1) appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the Centre’s full cooperation to Karnataka as India’s progress
Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday (August 1) appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the Centre’s full cooperation to Karnataka as India’s progress and Karnataka’s development were intrinsically linked. “For India to progress, it must progress along with Karnataka. Let us work together within our federal structure. I appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support Karnataka with an open heart,” Mr. Shivakumar said while addressing a public gathering at the inauguration of Viveka Smaraka at Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Mysuru on Saturday. Highlighting Karnataka’s growing global profile, the Chief Minister said the State, particularly Bengaluru, had become India’s gateway to the world.
The Chief Minister also recalled a reported remark made by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the international airport in Bengaluru during the tenure of former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, who was incidentally an alumnus of Ramakrishna Vidyashala. According to Mr. Shivakumar, Vajpayee had remarked that world leaders, who earlier visited Delhi before proceeding to other parts of the country like Kolkata and Mumbai, had started arriving in Bengaluru before visiting other parts of the country. “Our strength lies in our climate, culture, and people. As part of a federal setup, our State stands with you, and we must work together,” Mr. Shivakumar told the Prime Minister.
Describing the inauguration of Viveka Smaraka as a “historic moment”, driven by youth power and fresh ideas, Mr. Shivakumar said the Congress government in Karnataka shared Swami Vivekananda’s vision and said “Yuva Yuga, Nava Yuga” was its guiding slogan. He said the State government is establishing youth associations at the panchayat and ward levels to encourage sports, arts, and cultural talents. “We need to engage young people in both rural and urban areas to help build their physical and mental strength,” he said. Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s journey abroad from Mysuru, Mr. Shivakumar said it was with the support of the then Maharaja of Mysore that Swami Vivekananda travelled abroad and captivated the world with his iconic speech starting with “Brothers and Sisters of America”.
The Chief Minister, who offered his respects to the then Maharaja for backing Swami Vivekananda, also hailed the erstwhile Mysore royal family’s contribution to science by donating 300 acres of land in Bengaluru for establishing what is now the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
The BriefWire