Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addresses Provincial Teachers’ Dignity Workshop organized under the aegis of Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar
Youth will shape India’s destiny; elements seeking to divide society still active: Chief Minister
Geeta Press established in 1923, RSS in 1925 and Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar in 1926; all three have one common objective: CM Yogi
Chief Minister felicitates top-10 schools of Uttar Pradesh in Indian Culture Knowledge Examination
Lucknow, October 2026 : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “More than 11 lakh students joined the competition organized by Gayatri Parivar. Today’s youth will shape India’s destiny. We do not want an India that is fragmented and divided, fighting in caste camps. Those who think in this manner do not have reverence for their ancestors. We want ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’, and Prime Minister Modi has also asked all of us to work towards such an India.”
The Chief Minister addressed the Provincial Teachers’ Dignity Workshop organized at Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University during the centenary year of Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar on Sunday. He inaugurated the program by lighting a lamp before the portraits of Maa Gayatri, Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya and Mata Bhagwati Devi.
On the occasion, the CM also released a souvenir and felicitated the top-10 schools of Uttar Pradesh in the Indian Culture Knowledge Examination.
The CM said, “Gayatri Parivar has the guidance of Dr. Pranav Pandya and visionary leaders such as Dr. Chinmay Pandya. Therefore, the Parivar has to set goals for the next 100 years. Gayatri Parivar has to bring new light into the lives of humanity, which is under stress, embroiled in conflict, and struggling for existence. When the country was under subjugation, and people were frustrated and disappointed, they felt that slavery had become their destiny. It was then that a sage, born in Braj Bhoomi, Agra, and deeply devoted to Indian culture, Sanatan values, and traditions, emerged. Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya, while advancing his initial spiritual practice in Mathura, established Gayatri Parivar in Haridwar, which presented an exemplary example of social unity by bringing all sections of society together at one altar through yajnas.”
The Chief Minister stated, “Geeta Press was established in Gorakhpur in 1923, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1925, and Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar in 1926. Their paths and locations may be different, but their objective is one. All three organizations awakened society's dormant consciousness and connected people with Sanatan values. They inspired the youth to work for the country’s freedom by instilling in them a sense of India and Indianness.”
The CM informed, “Pt. Shriram Sharma remained associated with the freedom movement as a freedom fighter. Many sages associated with the freedom movement made significant contributions. Still, they felt that spiritual power was also necessary along with material strength for success, and therefore advanced it through spiritual practice.”
The Chief Minister said, “The first mantra of creation, the ‘Gayatri Mantra’, composed by Maharishi Vishwamitra, calls upon people to connect with the radiance of the Supreme Father. Whoever embraced its power attained welfare. Pt. Shriram Sharma Ji could have named this organization after himself, but he believed that a family is greater than an individual. Therefore, it was named Gayatri Parivar. An organization run in the name of an individual collapses after a few years, but an organization driven by an idea travels far. This 100-year spiritual practice proves it. The word is Brahma: ideas never die; Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar is a symbol of this.”
The CM added that bringing society together at the altar of yajnas, with the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, is sacred. Earlier, resources were limited, but the family was our strength. All brothers and their children lived in the tradition of the joint family. Everyone faced crises together. Today, families have become limited. The roof may be one, but the heads of five families are facing different directions. Because of institutions like Gayatri Parivar, the situation is certainly somewhat satisfactory. A ministry had to be constituted to save societies that are becoming fragmented and families that are being destroyed across the world. One minister is looking after what needs to be done to prevent stress.
Praising Gayatri Parivar, the Chief Minister said, “Because of this Parivar, today every child can recite the Gayatri Mantra. It feels very good to hear the Gayatri Mantra from children, even with their faltering speech. Gayatri Parivar will also have to shoulder the responsibility of preventing social fragmentation. Pt. Shriram Sharma is among those great personalities who connected religion with science. Religion and science are mutually complementary. Dr. Chinmay Pandya is also a practitioner of modern medicine, but is taking Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar forward.”
The CM described teachers as the consciousness of society and creators of an era. He said that when a teacher is awakened and discharges his responsibilities honestly, it does not take long for India to become Vishwaguru. When the world was in the darkness of ignorance, India’s tradition of great Acharyas gave the world great universities such as Takshashila and Nalanda.
Referring to the Gurukul and Rishi traditions, the CM mentioned Maharishi Vashishtha-Shri Ram, Maharishi Sandipani-Shri Krishna, and Chanakya-Chandragupta. He said this tradition needs revival.
The Chief Minister stated, “During the period of slavery, while one section was dividing society, another section was working to unite society. Those who divided society opposed independence and created divisions. Even today, elements seeking to divide society are fragmenting its unity in the name of region, caste, and language. This is an offense against Bharat Mata and the ancestors.”
He further added that it is a mischievous attempt to put India’s independence in danger. When the nation faces a crisis, teachers' responsibility grows. They must not allow divisive forces to succeed. The altar of yajna connects us with the sentiment ‘this is not mine’. Nature, trees, water sources, Ganga Maiya and Surya Narayan never discriminate against anyone.
The CM said, “The sentiment behind putting samidha into the yajna kund is to connect, carry forward and strengthen national unity through social unity.”
Referring to the Prime Minister’s sentiment of “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, he said the government planted 275 crore saplings in UP from 2017 to 2026. This year too, we planted 35 crore saplings. We have also taken measures to conserve and protect them. The Forest Research Institute Dehradun and Guru Ghasidas University, Chhattisgarh, provide us with third-party reports. Accountability is based on the report. Behind this is our objective of providing a pleasant, beautiful environment for future generations.
He said, “Today every river has become polluted. River culture has been destroyed for selfish interests. If life-giving rivers do not remain, a crisis will arise before life itself. Rivers play a role similar to arteries in the body. We have to save the rivers and make them uninterrupted and clean. A river had dried up decades ago. We extracted its images through satellite mapping and began its excavation. After the work was completed, a water stream emerged there during the rains.”
He further said, “Through this, the penance of our ancestors became a reality. Those who must have consumed the water of that river will receive their blessings when the river is revived.”
The CM praised the efforts of PM Narendra Modi in securing recognition for Yoga Day and said, “On June 21, more than 190 countries connect with yoga and express gratitude to the Rishi tradition. Our resolutions for the centenary celebration of independence are clear - giving up the mentality of slavery, feeling pride in our heritage, working for social equality, advancing the vision of a Viksit Bharat, becoming aware of civic duties, and giving greater importance to duties than rights. If every person becomes honest towards his duties, no one can dare to challenge India; rather, India will lead the world. 2047 will overwhelm us all.”
The top-10 schools in the Indian Culture Knowledge Examination were felicitated at the program. These included Sitapur Inter College and Ashutosh Brij Mohan Lal Memorial College of Sitapur, Chandrashekhar Memorial Public School of Rae Bareli, Lucknow Public School and City Montessori School of Lucknow, Dr. K.N. Modi Science and Commerce Inter College of Ghaziabad, Shiv Pratap Inter College of Amethi, Amar Singh Inter College of Bulandshahr, Chitrakoot Inter College of Chitrakoot and MG Public School of Muzaffarnagar.
At the workshop, Dr. Chinmay Pandya said that desire, anger, greed, selfishness, and narrow-mindedness are the challenges facing people today. Religion, justice, ethics, values, and good conduct must be strengthened. The objective of the Indian Culture Knowledge Examination is to establish the fundamental spirit of Indian culture in the new generation.
On this occasion, Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Member of the Legislative Council Dr. Mahendra Singh, MLA Rajeshwar Singh, Central Zone In-charge Parmanand Dwivedi, Coordinator Ramyash Tiwari, volunteers of Gayatri Parivar, and teachers who came from across the state were present.
