Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday addressed a National Memorial Symposium at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi, commemorating the 60th anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of ‘Integral Humanism.’
The symposium brought together scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders to reflect on the relevance of this philosophy in contemporary India.
Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister paid homage to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and underlined the global relevance of his thought. “I bow at the feet of revered Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Ji. I say this with complete conviction: the solutions to the problems the world faces today lie in the philosophy of Integral Humanism. It is not a complex philosophy; rather, it is the essence of Indian thought,” he said.
Explaining the roots of the philosophy, Chouhan noted that Integral Humanism was Pandit Deendayal Ji’s response to Western political thought that had emerged post-monarchy under ideals such as liberty, equality, and fraternity. He said that Pandit Deendayal urged India not to imitate the West blindly, but to build its society on its own foundational values.
Speaking about agriculture, the Minister said farming is the backbone of India’s economy. “I am not just the Agriculture Minister; I live the term ‘agriculture’. Farming and farmers run in my veins,” he added.
Elaborating on different forms of human fulfillment, the Minister likened the joy of intellectual discovery to Newton’s experience with gravity and emphasized the balanced role of wealth in life. He said that Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya believed in the necessity of material resources for a dignified life but warned against making wealth an overriding pursuit.
Highlighting the philosophy’s environmental ethos, Chouhan said the principle of ‘single consciousness’ applies not just to humans, but to all of nature. “The Earth is not only for humans; all living beings have an equal right to it,” he said. As part of this thought, he urged people to join the ‘Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam’ (One Tree in Mother’s Name) plantation campaign to preserve nature in a sacred way.
The Minister also pointed to a decline in rural poverty and rising living standards as indicators of positive transformation. He emphasized the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment, mentioning the Lakhpati Didi Yojana as a significant step towards gender equity. “If we leave half of our population behind, the country can never progress,” he stated, adding that this is the land of Gayatri, Sita, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.
Chouhan also announced that two new paddy varieties have recently been developed. These varieties are expected to boost yield by 30%, use 20% less water, and mature 20 days earlier, thereby increasing productivity and sustainability.