Ashram system imparts best lessons in admin, mgmt: Yogi

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the Sri Vigrah Murti installation ceremony of Swami Satyamitranand Giri Ji Maharaj in Haridwar on Friday, where he extolled the virtues of the ashram system, saying that this was where the real knowledge of MBA, or management, came from."People often ask how I am running Uttar Pradesh without any formal administrative experience, and my answer is that I am associated with the ashram system. India's sanyasis learn administration, real MBA education, from the ashram system. This is why UP has emerged from lawlessness to become a model of development and good governance," he said, adding that the roots of India's administrative, economic and cultural power lie in the ashram and gurukul tradition, where not just theoretical but practical knowledge is given in subjects like agriculture, astronomy, Ayurveda, crafts and administration.While India has now emerged as the world's third largest economy under PM Narendra Modi, Yogi said 2000 years ago India's share in the world economy was 44%, which fell to about 25% just 400 years back. For this, the CM credited India's sages, farmers and craftspeople. However, foreign invaders took India back in time and, once Indians turned away from their original values, the country's decline began, he said.Even the Supreme Court follows the mantra of where there is dharma, there is victory, the CM said, adding that dharma itself never becomes weak but is deliberately weakened.Giving the example of UP, Yogi said there was a time when the state's heritage was abused and insulted, and bullets were fired at Ram devotees. "That was not just an insult to Ram devotees but was an insult to India's heritage and her spiritual values," he said, adding that the result of this was that the state became a hub of lawlessness, loot and riots. It was only when his govt showed respect to heritage that law and order returned to the state.He said that sites like Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Haridwar, Badrinath Dham and Kedarnath Dham are not just centres of faith, but of national consciousness. "India derives its strength from these, and when we promoted these centres of faith with respect, UP, which remained sick for a long time, is now progressing as a breakthrough in India's economy," he said.Recalling the inauguration of the Bharat Mata Temple in 1982, which was attended by the then PM Indira Gandhi and Sar Sanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras, it was made clear that respect for the head of state will always remain, but there will never be any compromise with values. The temple did not follow caste distinction or religious differences, and all of India was reflected in it, he said.Yogi said that India was a village-based nation and villages were self-reliant units. There was no interference from external power, nor dependence on any grant. Self-employment was India's core strength, he said, calling it a strong model of gram swaraj-based governance where women had equal participation in the economy and were not dependent on anyone."When invaders came to India, a profit-based economy destroyed the local production system and a tax-based system replaced self-employment. As soon as we turned away from the ashram system, the craftspeople were enslaved, and the burden of dependence on the farmer increased to the extent that he was forced to commit suicide. We must remember what the concept of gram swaraj is, as the destruction of a village shakes the foundation of that nation," he said.Yogi is ‘Lion of UP': SeersThe seers at the event called Yogi Adityanath "the lion of Uttar Pradesh", saying that he was dear and beneficial to all. "He needs to be taken care of. Since Yogi Adityanath came to ofice, an atmosphere like Ram Rajya is visible in UP. Today, no fear, lawlessness and frenzy is visible anywhere in UP," they said. Juna Peethadhishwar Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj said that when leaders like Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath are leading the country, there is no doubt that India will emerge as glorious as it was during the time of Harshvardhan and Vikramaditya.