Vice President CP Radhakrishnan said on Sunday (September 28, 2025) that the real strength of India is the concept of ‘religion’, which has put the country in one thread despite linguistic diversity. Radhakrishnan said this while addressing the closing ceremony of the International Literature Festival ‘Unsehesh’ organized by the Sahitya Academy and Union Ministry of Culture in Patna.
Radhakrishnan said, ‘A dignity of Europe asked me how India can remain united without any one language. I replied that even though the people here speak different languages, they remain united through the concept of religion.
Western concept of democracy rejected
He also dismissed the notion that democracy is a western concept and said that 2,500 years ago, this land of Bihar saw the powerful Maurya Empire on one side and on the other hand also became the birthplace of the ancient Republic Vaishali.
Addressing the attendees, the Vice President said, ‘Unge’ is a symbol of awakening of new ideas, narratives and perspectives, which celebrates diversity in ideas and bridges the gap between language, culture, geography and ideology. ‘ He expressed confidence that the uncontrollable will continue to be the basis of literary culture and will continue to inspire the future generations of writers, thinkers and readers.
Radhakrishnan’s first Bihar tour after becoming Vice President
He also spoke in detail about the rich cultural heritage of Bihar, where in ancient times there was a spiritual renaissance from Lord Buddha and Mahavira and there were centers of education in Nalanda and Vikramashila, where scholars from far and wide came. The Vice President also recalled Mahatma Gandhi -led ‘Champaran Satyagraha’ and appreciated the folk culture of the state, which is reflected in Madhubani painting and Chhath festival.
This was Radhakrishnan’s first visit to Bihar after becoming Vice President. He was welcomed by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha at Patna Airport. Radhakrishnan described Governor Khan as an ‘old friend’ during his address and said that both have worked together even while being MPs.
Wreath of offering to Jayaprakash Narayan
On the way to the venue, on the way, the Vice President stayed for some time and laid a wreath at the statue of the great socialist Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. In his address, he also shared personal experiences related to ‘Loknayak’.
He said, ‘When I was 19 years old, I had thrown myself in the entire revolution movement started by Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan. Later I also became the District General Secretary of this movement. Radhakrishnan remembered that his socio-political journey started as a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in his home state of Tamil Nadu.
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