RSS has scientific vision, thought process in country's interest: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has a scientific thought process and it is with this "vision that it is working in the country's interest". He also hailed the 'Vikram Samvat' calendar claiming it is backed by science.

Addressing the inaugural function of the fifth national convention of Vigyan Bharti here, Adityanath said, "The Indian 'drishti' (vision) believes that a new knowledge is science. The Vigyan Bharti has the patronage of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The vision and thought process of the RSS is scientific and it is with this vision that it is working in the interest of the nation."

"KB Hegdewar, the founder of the RSS, was a doctor and a scientist. Former RSS chief MS Golwalkar was also a scientist. Several other RSS chiefs, too, were having a scientific point of view. The Indian 'drishti' says nothing can be destroyed but it can change form. This is the scientific point of view," the chief minister noted.

Highlighting the use of Vikram Samvat calendar, he said, "We generally refer to the panchaang based on Vikram Samvat for various auspicious and religious programmes. There is a difference between the English calendar and the Vikram Samvat panchaang. There is no scientific point of view in the English dates, while Vikram Samvat is scientifically backed."

"There are no 'muhurat' in the English dates. The dates of solar eclipse and lunar eclipse change every year in the English calendar. But as per the Indian panchaang, lunar eclipse always occurs on a 'Purnima' (full moon day), and a solar eclipse occurs on an 'Amavasya' (new moon day). Our sages had said this much earlier," the chief minister added.

Adityanath was of the opinion that India lagged behind in the field of knowledge and science because it accepted its knowledge from a religious point of view, but did not try to adopt its practical nature. "Along with observing the happenings around us, we should inculcate the habit of writing and making notes with respect to them. Institutions should encourage data collection. All institutions must examine every work from a scientific point of view so as to get to its core. Every event that happens in nature inspires us to move forward with scientific thinking," he said.

Adityanath also highlighted the importance of Ayurveda and said it was "highly advanced" at one point, but later ignored. "During COVID-19, people took refuge in Ayush," he added.