PM Modi Laid Foundation Stone For a ₹100 Crore Temple Dedicated To 14th Century Social Reformer Sant Ravidas At Sagar In Madhya Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Saturday that the most disadvantaged groups in society were the primary beneficiaries of his administration’s policies as he laid the cornerstone for a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar honoring Sant Ravidas, a 14th-century poet and social reformer revered by Scheduled Castes (SC) in the north and central India.

PM Modi at Sagar

“Today, the Backward Classes, Tribal Communities, and Dalits are the main recipients of all the major programs the nation runs to help the poor. You are all well aware that the programs that were implemented by past administrations were tied to the election year. After the foundation-laying ceremony, Mr. Modi addressed a sizable crowd and said, “But we consider that the country should stand with Dalits, disadvantaged sections, Backward Classes, tribal people, and women—at every stage of life, we should support their ambitions and aspirations.

 

The occasion also marked the conclusion of the ‘Samrasta (harmony) Yatras, which the BJP began in July with the goal of fostering relationships with various societal groups, particularly

Scheduled Castes, in the election-bound State where 35 Assembly seats are set aside for SCs in the 230-member Assembly.

 

 

PM Modi to return after a win in the third term

The prime minister showed confidence in his ability to win a third term, stating Sant Ravidas would give him the opportunity to return for the temple’s inauguration in one to one and a half years.

What did PM Modi say in his speech?

While Mr. Modi’s 20-minute speech was generally free of political allusions, he did mention that Sant Ravidas was born at a time “when the country was ruled by Mughals and society was grappling with instability, oppression, and tyranny” Sant Ravidas had declared that servitude was the greatest sin during the Mughal Empire, when locals’ beliefs were under attack and limitations were put in place to destroy their identity.

Sant Ravidas fought social problems and awakened society, Mr. Modi said, praising the poet who opposed institutionalized caste hierarchy.