PM Modi cherished Nanaji’s dream of ‘Antyodaya’: Amit Shah

Bhopal, Feb 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought to fruition the noble dreams of 'Antyodaya,' a vision cherished by Nanaji Deshmukh - the great visionary of India in real sense, said Union Home and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah on Thursday in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. 

He said, in a mere decade, as many as six hundred million Indian citizens have now been provided homes, sanitation, sustenance, electricity, and gas connections. This remarkable achievement was extolled by the Union Home and Cooperative Minister, Amit Shah, during his visit to Chitrakoot, while addressing a function organised to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Nanaji Deshmukh.

Home Minister, lauded Nanaji's visionary adoption of 'Ekatm Manavwad,' a principle espoused by his compatriot, Deendayal Upadhyay. 

“As India strides forward with the ethos of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' (a Sanskrit phrase meaning, "the world is one family), the world now gazes upon this great nation with admiration,” he said.

Nanaji Deshmukh's transformative concept of ‘Gramodaya’ has rendered Chitrakoot an exemplar of rural development, inspiring villages to metamorphose into idyllic Gokul Grams. 

In a pointed critique of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's policies, Amit Shah lamented the lack of indigenous essence in the policies of that era, which, according to him, appeared as mere translations of Western doctrines.

Reflecting on the dark days of the ‘Emergency,’ Amit Shah recounted the resilience of the opposition and the eventual downfall of Indira Gandhi's regime in 1977. 

He said Nanaji Deshmukh was one of the select few leaders, alongside JP (Jay Prakash Narayan), who formed the Jana Sangh and established a non-Congress government at the Center to restore democracy. 

Nanaji's exemplary conduct, such as his magnanimous gesture towards his political rival Maharani of Balrampur, further cemented his legacy, Amit Shah further said.

“The late APJ Abdul Kalam had fittingly honored Nanaji with the title of 'Rashtra Rishi,” he said.

The Home Minister’s visit to Madhya Pradesh, following his recent address at the Global Investors Summit-2025 in Bhopal, holds added significance. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was also present on the occasion. Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh, affectionately known as Nanaji Deshmukh, was born on the 11th of October, 1916, during the pre-independence era. A venerable social reformer and politician, he devoted his life to education, health, and rural self-reliance.

In 1999, he was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award, and posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 2019. A stalwart of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and a member of the Rajya Sabha, Deshmukh, after retiring from active politics, dedicated himself to the Deendayal Research Institute, which he founded in 1969. 

His endeavours spanned anti-poverty and minimum needs programs, agriculture, cottage industry, rural health, and education. Nanaji Deshmukh passed away on the 27th of February, 2010, within the precincts of Chitrakoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya, an institution he had established.