Vice President wishes the nation on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti

New Delhi: The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has wished the people on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti. In a message, he called Bhagwan Mahavir as one of the most charismatic spiritual leaders to have walked the earth and asked people to draw inspiration from his life in this time of crisis caused by COVID-19.

Following is the full text of the message –

“I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of our country on the auspicious occasion of ‘Mahavir Jayanti’.

Lord Mahavir was one of the most charismatic and influential spiritual leaders to have walked the earth. His messages of nonviolence, truth, honesty, selflessness and sacrifice are timeless and full of universal compassion. He preached the gospel of universal love and emphasized that all living beings, including plants and animals, are equal and deserved to be treated with love and respect.

We must draw inspiration from Lord Mahavir’s life, his practice of austerity, his stress on the need to adopt a positive attitude towards life and his messages of love, tolerance and peace, especially now, when humanity is facing a formidable health crisis of the spread of COVID-19.

In the face of this daunting challenge, we must remain united and strive to protect and heal not just ourselves but the entire world.

Let us endeavour to help those less fortunate than ourselves to overcome the crippling effects of this crisis. Let us help spread the message of fraternity and humanity and through compassion and empathy, pay tributes to the great Bhagwan Mahavir.”