BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi calls for moral, cultural revolution

Former Union minister and BJP's veteran leader Murli Manohar Joshi here on Thursday called for a moral and cultural revolution while laying stress on teachings of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Speaking during the opening day of a two-day international conference on the Sikh Guru's philosophy by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) here, Joshi said tenets of the Sikh philosophy had the "potential to create an ambience for such a cultural revolution, which was the need of the hour".

"I sometimes say that either we change or perish. Time has come to change, the time has come to realise where we have to go, where we are," said Joshi, adding that the cut-throat competition, religious bigotry, aggression and violence had assumed "dangerous propositions" all over the world. "We have degraded natural and social environment to a great extent and this has to be curbed and I feel a great moral and cultural revolution is required," he said.

Speaking on the teachings of the Sikh Guru, the veteran BJP leader said every human being had dignity and this idea was strongly advocated by the Guru. He said various ills plaguing present-day society were not countered by saints in the same measure as in Guru Nanak Dev's times.

"There was something very important in those days that a frontal attack was launched on the basic defect of society, but somehow such attacks from saints and sadhus today are missing. They are not so strong to create a pain in everybody that this sort of social structure must go, must be changed, must be transformed," he said. "That sort of atmosphere, I don't find…it is missing…it has to be created where this basic defect of Indian society is brought to the fore and removed as early as possible," he stressed.

"Therefore, if we want to create a society which is egalitarian, socially just, fair, free from bigotry and violence, then we will have to adhere to his principles," he said, adding that the Sikh Guru advocated equal rights for women and gave the message to protect the environment. "We should also try to see that in the schemes and programmes of the government, these principles are reflected," he said.

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