India has to grow in an integral model where life is seen holistically, says Governor Ravi 

With Photo

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Tuesday said India has to become a fully developed, self-reliant country not only in material resources but also in terms of our wisdom and to provide solutions to global problems.

“When we are progressing materially, scientifically and technically, we cannot just grow on a Western model. It has to be our integral model in which life is not seen in isolation but in a holistic manner,” the Governor said during the regional launch of the book titled ‘Poshan Utsav: Celebrating Nutrition through Cultural Practices’ by Deenadayal Research Institute at Raj Bhavan in Chennai.

“Until 200 years ago our country was food sufficient. We don’t know what famine was. British records of the early 19th century show that the food production was six metric tonnes per hectare in present-day Tamil Nadu. Today, in the Cauvery delta region, the food production dipped to 3.5 metric tonnes per hectare. We produced a variety of food and never considered it merely an object or material to quench our hunger. It is much more than that. Our view of life was always holistic. We never looked at anything in isolation…Our life philosophy which originated several thousand years ago, during the Vedic period, has translated into our cultural practices. Before they are lost, we have to collect, preserve and make people learn about them. It is not only about practising, but also we have to make sense of it,” he said.

PLT Girija, nutritionist; Atul Jain, general secretary, Deendayal Research Institute, Delhi; Jatinder K. Bajaj, Director, Centre for Policy Studies, Chennai and Devendra Jain, Trustee, Samast Mahajan, Mumbai were among others present.