New Delhi, 24 September (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that service should remain the primary objective, and that its message should be conveyed not through sermons but through one’s conduct and work. Addressing young participants of the Seva Sankalp Yatra, he said that regardless of how much power or how high a position they attain in politics, their path must always remain one of service and they should never deviate from it.

Interacting via video conference with participants of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan who are travelling from Vadnagar to Varanasi, the Prime Minister said, “We must convey the message of service through service itself, not preach about it. We will spread the message of service by serving through our actions.” He said people should be able to see through their conduct that, no matter how great the authority they acquire, service will remain their chosen path.

The Prime Minister said Vadnagar and Varanasi are two ancient and vibrant cities—one being his birthplace and the other his karmabhoomi, or place of work. He said the major service campaign is being undertaken between these two cities. As part of the campaign, 20 groups are travelling through 193 districts, 773 tehsils and 10,159 villages across 10 states. The journey covers a total distance of approximately 35,576 kilometres, with 380 overnight halts scheduled along the route.

Modi said that during the journey, participants are engaging in interactions with gram sabhas, beneficiaries and members of the public, besides undertaking tree plantation drives, cleanliness campaigns, cultural programmes and other service-oriented activities. He said that in India, both travel and service have traditionally been associated with social and cultural values. Such journeys, he added, teach compassion, humility, teamwork and discipline while providing an opportunity to connect directly with society.

The Prime Minister said politics and elections have their own place, while governance has its own role, but the service travellers are moving forward with a commitment to nation-building and the vision of a developed India. He said the youth would have a major role in building a developed India by 2047, and that young people need to travel across the country to understand the aspirations of different regions, social groups and communities at the grassroots level.

He said the journey provides young participants with an opportunity to learn compassion, humility, teamwork and discipline. He urged the travellers to document their experiences and prepare a record of the people they meet, their experiences and the good initiatives they observe at the local level during the journey.

The Prime Minister said that when the spirit of service lies at the heart of governance, citizens become the focus of public policy. Referring to initiatives such as free foodgrains for the poor, Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, PM-KISAN and PM Surya Ghar, he said the spirit of service provides the motivation to ensure that such schemes reach people at the last mile. He said, “Seva Paramo Dharma — service is the highest duty. Nar Seva, Narayan Seva — serving humanity is serving the Divine.”

Modi said villages, farmers and local communities possess a rich reservoir of knowledge and experience. A successful initiative in one village can prove useful to another, while the experience of one region can become a source of strength for the entire country. He said the journey should be used to understand India’s unity in diversity and to take the lessons and good practices from one region to others.

Modi said the hard work and experiences of the service travellers would lend momentum to the journey towards building a developed India. Wishing them a safe and uninterrupted journey, the Prime Minister urged them to continue moving forward with the same energy and commitment with which they have worked so far.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar