Naidu praises RSS, says India’s civilisational strength would propel it to top
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu called for population growth and added that India’s demographic strength had become a key asset
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said India’s civilisational strength, knowledge traditions, and youthful demographic advantage would propel the country to the top position in the world and make it a global superpower.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Bharatiya Vignan Sammelan at National Sanskrit University in Tirupati, Naidu called the conference an appropriate platform to deliberate on India and the idea of Indianness. He praised Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideological fount, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for its efforts to preserve Indian culture and traditions while contributing to national development.
“RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat has been making efforts to strengthen values, ethics, and moral foundations in society, highlighting India’s strong family system that provides social security,” he said. Naidu echoed Bhagwat’s call for population growth and added that India’s demographic strength had become a key asset, unlike several countries facing ageing population challenges. “With an unmatched youth force, India has the potential to lead the world.”
He cited India’s ancient scientific and intellectual legacy and added that the country had been a knowledge powerhouse since antiquity. Naidu pointed to the Harappan civilisation as early evidence of advanced urban planning, noting that yoga was practised in India nearly 2,900 years ago and is now followed in over 150 countries.
“Yoga offers mental peace, and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, International Yoga Day has been celebrated on an unprecedented global scale,” he said. He underscored India’s contributions to medicine through Ayurveda over 2,600 years ago, and the global repute of ancient centres of learning such as Takshashila and Nalanda, which imparted structured higher education nearly 1,600 years ago. “Indians gave the world the concept of zero and invented chess, a game that sharpens intellectual ability.”
Naidu referred to India’s great thinkers, Aryabhata (astronomy), Bhaskaracharya (mathematics), Charaka and Dhanvantari (medicine), and Kautilya (economics), and described them as inspirational figures who shaped world history through their intellect and vision.
He called for educating children about Indian epics and inspiring youth with the achievements of legendary characters. He said that Hanuman was greater than Superman, and that Arjuna was a far superior warrior compared to characters such as Batman and Iron Man. “The Mahabharata and the Ramayana are far greater than movies like ‘Avatar.’ There is no greater Purushottama [Supreme Being] in the world than Lord Ram. There is a need to educate children about Rama Rajya,” he said.
Naidu said India was among the world’s leading nations even 2,000 years ago, and several Western countries were far behind. “India once accounted for nearly 40% of global GDP and had consistently been a superpower in the knowledge economy,” he said.
He said foreign rule and certain policy decisions after Independence temporarily constrained the country’s progress. “With the economic reforms of 1991 and the subsequent IT revolution, India regained momentum,” he said. He added that Indians lead several global corporations.
Bhagwat, who was among others who attended the event, called upon individuals to define their duties and progress with a sense of responsibility. He said there is no contradiction between science and dharma, and that experience plays a crucial role in acquiring knowledge.
He quoted Swami Vivekananda and said that anything was achievable if one followed the right path. “In a rapidly advancing world, there is a need for continuous practice, discipline, and education to remain competitive. Compassion elevates human beings to higher moral ground,” he said. Bhagwat added that material success without mental satisfaction does not bring true happiness.
Union minister Jitendra Singh said India has witnessed rapid growth in the startup ecosystem over the past decade and has reached eighth position globally in the space economy. “Investments in the IT and telecom sectors have been streamlined, contributing to technological expansion,” he said. He said budgetary allocations for science and technology have increased substantially under Modi’s leadership. Singh said private sector participation was being encouraged in space exploration and critical minerals.
