150 universities should be involved in writing papers on Sri Aurobindo's life: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday suggested that 150 universities across the country should be involved in writing papers on different aspects of spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo's life and philosophy to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary. Sri Aurobindo was born on August 15, 1872, in Kolkata, West Bengal. Modi chaired the first meeting of a high-level committee that was formed to commemorate Sri Aurobindo's 150th birth anniversary, according to a statement issued by the culture ministry.

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Govind Mohan, Secretary (Culture), gave a presentation on the roadmap for the celebrations and sought the advice of the members of the committee for commemorating the occasion in a befitting manner, the statement said. The committee comprises 53 members from various walks of life.

According to the statement, 38 of the 53 members were present at the meeting, either virtually or physically. "Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister expressed his gratitude to the esteemed members for their valuable thoughts and suggestions on Sri Aurobindo's commemoration," the statement noted. Modi said it is India's responsibility as a spiritual leader of the world to contribute in terms of spiritualism to nations across the globe. "He suggested that 150 universities across the country should be involved in writing papers on different aspects of Sri Aurobindo's life and philosophy and the 150 papers to be published on the occasion," the statement said.

The prime minister proposed to launch the commemoration celebrations of Sri Aurobindo from Puducherry, coinciding with the celebration of the National Youth Day, it mentioned. "This will encourage the youth to visit Puducherry and learn about his life and teachings, where Sri Aurobindo spent his life from 1910 to 1950," the statement said. Modi fondly recalled his discussions as the Gujarat chief minister with Kireet Joshi, who was a disciple of Sri Aurobindo, the statement noted.

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"He (Modi) said that these discussions enriched him with the thoughts of Sri Aurobindo, which were deeply reflected when he was working on preparing the National Education Policy," it added. The prime minister also said Joshi's literature on Sri Aurobindo should be disseminated widely across the world.