I touch and salute the holy feet of Bharat Mata, the most powerful and benevolent.
Bihar Dharm, Sanskriti aur Gyan ki Bhoomi hai.
It is my first visit to Bihar since assuming the office of Vice-President of India and it is a privilege and honour for me that I am participating in a great cultural event where 550 eminent personalities participated in this festival.
On this great day, the dignitaries who are sharing the dais with me, my longtime friend from the days of working as Member of Parliament and even, Shriman Arif Mohammed Khan Ji, Hon’ble Governor of Bihar; our beloved Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Shriman Vijay Kumar Sinha Ji, Hon’ble Tourism Minister Shri Raju Kumar Singh Ji, my Secretary Shri Amit Khare Ji and our Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Shriman Vivek Agarwal Ji and Dr. Mahadev Kaushik Ji, President of Sahitya Akademi and my dear brothers and sisters who are assembled here.
Unmesha is there, cutting across the languages, we are gathering here so that the great literature of our country is getting well represented.
Our Culture Ministry has taken great pains so that great writers of all languages have been called to one single place and we have great opportunity to share our views about our writings, about our knowledge with each other.
We are assembled here in Bihar’s capital Patna, Bihar's contributions to spiritualism are not merely historical but continue to inspire millions globally. Bihar is a confluence of both Buddhist and Jain traditions, as also Hinduism marking it as a unique spiritual heartland.
Bihar is the birthplace of our ‘Mata Sita’, the mother who suffered a lot throughout her life for establishing justice.
And again, Bihar is the holy place where Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became the Lord Gautam Buddha.
Again, Bihar is the holy birthplace of Lord Mahavira, the 24th and last Jain Tirthankara, who gave the message of Ahimsa (non-violence), that became the weapon of our great Mahatma Gandhi Ji who fought for the independence of India. And today we got the right to preach the (message of) non-violence to the whole world.
Lord Mahavira’s message influenced Indian ethical and spiritual life deeply.
No single culture can develop overnight. It is the contribution of great people. That is the reason why Indian culture is so great today.
And again, Bihar’s great contribution to the world is Universities of those times: Nalanda and Vikramshila. These institutions reflect Bihar’s status as an intellectual superpower of the ancient times.
The ancient Nalanda University, once a beacon of global learning, attracted scholars from across Asia and stood as a symbol of intellectual pursuit, diversity, and excellence.
Our great Nalanda University (is) serving as the symbol of India’s status as Vishwa Guru.
And I am very glad that the Central & State Government with the assistance of the international community have revived Nalanda. They have taken the initiative to reform it, regenerated and reconstructed it.
And Bihar is also the place where on one hand powerful empires like Magadha and Maurya flourished and on the other hand it became the birthplace of democracy in the form of Vaishali.
Many of us think that democracy is a western concept, but Vaishali was the origin of democracy (more than) 2500 years ago.
Vaishali was the world’s first known republic—a shining example of early democratic governance, long before democracy became a modern ideal symbolizing India's successful early experiments with democracy and collective governance. Vaishali stands as a symbol of India’s ancient commitment to self-governance and collective wisdom.
In the deep South, the Chola kingdom used to elect the people through the Kudavolai system practised in the nature of democracy where the members had to first qualify to rule. The village assemblies which managed the local affairs, used the Kudavolai system for electing representatives.
So, India’s culture, thinking, its greatness- it is from the North to the South, West to the East- is the same.
Again Bihar has always stood at the forefront of social change—whether it was the Champaran Satyagraha, led by Mahatma Gandhi Ji, or the JP Movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan, which regenerated the spirit of democracy.
I immersed myself in the Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution Movement) led by Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan, at the age of nineteen and I went on to become the District General Secretary of the Total Revolution Movement.
The Total Revolution Movement which was taken forward by our Lok Nayak JP Ji’s legacy reminds us that Bihar has always been a cradle of change and conscience.
Bihar's contributions to national leadership are noteworthy — including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, and Jayaprakash Narayan, the conscience keeper of Indian democracy.
The cultural traditions of Mithila painting, folk theatre like Bidesia, and festivals like Chhath Puja are vivid examples of our great rich intangible heritage.
Chhath, in particular, is one of the most disciplined and ecologically conscious festivals in the world — worshipping the Sun God and nature, with a deep connection to rivers and purity.
Chhath is also unique because the devotees not only worship the rising Sun, but also worship the setting Sun. That shows our great culture that we are thankful to you when you are giving everything to us and at the same time you are disappearing, that time also we are faithful and loyal to you. Our thanks will be there forever.
The land of Bihar continues to produce some of the nation’s brightest minds, many of whom serve in civil services, academia, technology, and law.
We gather here to celebrate not only literature but also the immense power of the written word to shape societies, transform minds, and create lasting legacies.
The festivity of the written word has transcended boundaries, bringing together distinguished personalities, scholars, writers, poets,translators and publishers and from across the globe representing about 100 languages today.
This festival, Unmesha, aptly named, signifies the "awakening" or "unfolding" of new ideas, new narratives, and fresh perspectives.
It is a celebration of diversity in thought and an affirmation of literature’s unique role in bridging divides—whether they be of language, culture, geography, or ideology.
One dignitary from Europe asked me, “How is India so united in spite of you speaking different languages?”. My answer was, “We speak different languages but we live on one single concept, that is Dharma.”
I am sure and I am confident that all your literature, knowledge; all your writing, all your talents will strengthen Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat, that is the concept with which we want to live on.
I have no doubt that Unmesha will continue to be a cornerstone of literary culture, attracting future generations of writers, thinkers, and readers. All your existing writeups will leave a good legacy for future generations.
India is Ek and India will be Ek forever.
With these words, I thank everyone for giving me this opportunity to share my ideas and views with you.
Jai Hind! Jai Bharat! Long live Bharat.
Thank you.
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