The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Karunanidhi urges ascetics to follow Jaggi Vasudev’s lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 24, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Karunanidhi urges ascetics to follow Jaggi Vasudev’s lead

Special Correspondent

— Photo: R. Ragu

SHOWING THE WAY: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi planting a sapling in the presence of Jaggi Vasudev of the Isha Foundation at Anna University in Chennai on Sunday. Kanimozhi, MP, is in the picture.

CHENNAI: The nation and the world would be better off, if all the ascetics follow the path shown by Jaggi Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation, in environmental protection, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Sunday.

Addressing a function organised by the foundation to mark its 25th anniversary, Mr. Karunanidhi said he always held in high esteem the religious leaders such as Kundrakudi Adigal and his successor for their service to Tamil. He respected Sri Jaggi Vasudev for his effort at planting of saplings.

He preferred ascetics who strove for social uplift to those who focused only on religion.

Those who talked of religion alone issued fearsome threats and imprecation, the Chief Minister said, presiding over the launch of a campaign for planting of 2.5 crore saplings.

Green cover

Highlighting the importance of green cover, he said Chennai did not have so much green cover as New Delhi and Bangalore; it was dotted with hoardings.

He called upon the people to realise the importance of green cover and work for planting saplings and maintaining trees.

Mr. Karunanidhi, who distributed prizes to winners of rural sports contests, said that: “by nurturing trees, we will nurture humanity.”

D.R. Karthikeyan, former Director, Central Bureau of Investigation, referred to the agrarian crisis in different parts of the country and said insurance cover and remunerative prices would solve the problems of farmers.

Launching the green campaign, Kanimozhi, Member of Parliament, said religion was meant for elevating people, not to divide them.

Sudha Raghunathan, musician and devotee of Sri Jaggi Vasudev, welcomed the gathering.

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