Great saints like Sant Ravidasji belong to the entire humanity, said President Ram Nath Kovind.

He was addressing the ‘Shri Guru Ravidas Vishva Mahapeeth Rashtriya Adhiveshan-2021’ in New Delhi today (February 21, 2021). The President said that Guru Ravidasji may have been born in a particular community, sect or region, but saints like him rise above all such boundaries.

Saints do not belong to any caste, sect or region. They take steps that are for the welfare of the entire humanity. The conduct of saints goes beyond all kind of discrimination and narrow-mindedness.

President Kovind expressed happiness that the philosophy and values of Guru Ravidasji like social justice, equality and fraternity have been imbued in our constitutional values. The Chief Architect of our Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar embodied the Constitutional principles around the values expressed by Guru Ravidasji.

The President said that Sant Ravidas did not leave out any person or class of society from the ambit of his love and compassion. If saints are tied up to a particular community, then, in his view, it would be against the very principle of inclusiveness which was preached by Sant Ravidasji himself. Therefore, it is necessary for people to change their thinking and outlook.

Efforts should be made to ensure the participation of all sections of society in events like this. He said that these efforts would help in increasing social equality and harmony in the country.

The President said that Guru Ravidasji had envisaged a society that is based on equality and free from any kind of discrimination. He gave it the name ‘Be-gampura’ – the city where there is no place for any kind of grief or fear. Such an ideal city would be bereft of fear, vulnerability or scarcity. Rule of law based on right ideas like equality and welfare of all would be the principle for governance. Only those who supported the vision of such a city were considered by Guru Ravidas as his true companion.

The President said that in fact, Guru Ravidasji was expressing the vision of India as the city of Be-gampura. He was inspiring his contemporary society to build a country based on equality and justice. Today it is the duty of all citizens to work together to build such a society and nation and be eligible to be called the true companions of Sant Ravidasji.