Modi at UNGA: PM Pays Tribute to Deendayal; Talks About Antyodaya, Integral Humanism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech at United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, invoked RSS thinker Deendayal Upadhyaya by saying India was moving forward on the principle of “antyodaya – meaning where no one is left behind”. On Pandit Deendayal’s 105th birth anniversary, observed as Antyodaya Diwas across India, PM Modi paid tribute to the right-wing Hindutva thinker by saying at the UNGA: “Development should be all-inclusive, universal and one that nurtures all.” ANTYODAYA, A PART OF INTEGRAL HUMANISM Antyodaya, one of the core principles of integral humanism, is seen as one of the driving forces behind the ethos of the BJP. Included in the concept of integral humanism, drafted by BJP-precursor Jan Sangh founder Pandit Deendayal, antyodaya quite rightly means uplifting the poorest, most deprived sections of the society. Today is the birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, the proponent of ‘Ekatma manav darshan’, meaning integral humanism or the development journey taken together, the expansion from self to universe.” He added: “It is with the principle in mind that India is moving forward on path of integrated equitable development. Our priority is that development should be all inclusive, all pervasive, universal and one that nurtures all.” Earlier in the day, even union home minister Amit Shah started his speech at the first cooperative conference in New Delhi by saying, “Today, on the occasion of ‘National cooperative conference’, I would like to start my speech marking the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal because the basic motivation of many workers like me, to come into the cooperative sector, is the policy of antyodaya of Deendayal.” Shah said welfare of the poor and antyodaya could not be imagined without cooperatives, as it was aimed at the grassroots such as rural areas.