Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat stated on Tuesday that the entire country stood united on January 22, the day Lord Ram's idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple.
"Our workers used to say that achieving unity among Hindus was an uphill task, especially with factors like jaat paat (caste) coming into play," Bhagwat said.
"But between 11am and 12:30pm on January 22 (this year), the entire country stood united," he added.
He made these remarks after inaugurating the tertiary cancer care facility of Vivekanand Medical Foundation and Research Centre in Latur city.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Padma Bhushan-awardee Dr Ashok Kukde, and others were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya highlighted that the traditional Indian way of living and food provides many medicinal insights, which can play a vital role in mitigating alarming health issues.
“India’s heritage and roots offer a unique health model that holds knowledge to counter and treat various illnesses effectively,” he added.
Mandaviya stressed that while the world has many health models, India must strengthen its own model aligned with its genetics. He emphasised the need to focus on continental patterns of diseases relevant to India's geography and to reflect on traditional ways of living and food habits from the past to find solutions to prevalent health issues today.
He also mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic not only showcased India’s strengths in the medical and pharmaceutical sector but also highlighted its age-old cherished value of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (World is one family).
