New Delhi, 2 June : Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Sunday addressed a National Memorial Symposium at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi, marking 60 years of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of Integral Humanism.

The event brought together scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders to examine the continued relevance of Integral Humanism in modern India.

Paying tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Minister said, “I bow at the feet of the revered Pandit Deendayal Ji. I firmly believe the answers to many of the world’s current problems lie within the philosophy of Integral Humanism. It is not a complex ideology but the distilled essence of Indian civilizational thought.”

Chouhan explained that Integral Humanism was Upadhyaya’s alternative to Western political doctrines that rose post-monarchy, including liberty, equality, and fraternity. Instead of adopting Western models blindly, he said, Upadhyaya advocated for India to evolve based on its own cultural and spiritual foundations.

Touching upon agriculture, Chouhan stated, “Farming is not just a portfolio for me—it’s a part of who I am. Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy.”

He also spoke about the various forms of human fulfillment, comparing the joy of intellectual discovery to Newton’s revelation of gravity, and emphasized that while material wealth is essential for a dignified life, it should not become life’s sole aim—a core tenet of Deendayal Ji’s philosophy.

On environmental consciousness, Chouhan highlighted the philosophy’s principle of oneness, stating that all living beings—not just humans—have equal rights over Earth. In this context, he urged citizens to support the “Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam” (One Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign to promote sacred environmental responsibility.

He also pointed to declining rural poverty and improved living standards as signs of positive transformation under current policies. On the subject of women empowerment, he cited the Lakhpati Didi Yojana as a significant initiative toward gender parity, remarking, “A nation cannot progress by leaving half its population behind. This is the land of Gayatri, Sita, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.”

Concluding his address, Chouhan announced the development of two new paddy varieties that are expected to increase yield by 30%, require 20% less water, and mature 20 days earlier, significantly enhancing both productivity and sustainability in agriculture.