Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday announced that the state government will provide Rs 35-40 lakh compensation to the families of sanitation workers in case of their death in an accident or disaster, with payments facilitated through banks. He said that the government will also provide a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to sanitation workers. During the occasion, the CM stated that those who disrespect Lord Valmiki are essentially insulting Lord Ram as well. Adityanath made these remarks while addressing the Maharshi Valmiki Manifestation Day ceremony held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan under the aegis of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Mahasabha Trust. Calling Maharshi Valmiki as the “fate-maker of India’s great spiritual tradition”, the CM asserted: “When Valmiki decided to write, he asked Narad Muni who is the person of true character I can write about. And then he chose to write about Lord Ram.” Yogi said while writing Ramayana, Valmiki based the entire story on Lord Ram. He explained that Ram was selected as the central character because he “personifies Dharma”. He said, “Society is grateful to Lord Valmiki.He depicted Ram’s character, which is relevant in every era, country, and situation. Lord Ram, whom he portrayed, represents righteousness itself. Every relationship — between brothers, parents and children, rulers and subjects — finds an ideal in the ‘Ramayana’. Ram never violated the Lakshman Rekha.” Adityanath said those who abuse Lord Ram are also insulting Lord Valmiki. “Insulting Lord Valmiki is also insulting Lord Ram,” he said slamming caste-based vote politics. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, the CM said, “Today, those people remember Baba Saheb in every press conference, but then SP changed the name of Kannauj Medical College from Baba Saheb. We restored it. Lucknow’s Language University was named after Kanshiram Ji, but SP changed that name too. The name of Saharanpur Medical College was also changed. They have dual faces and see every work from a vote bank angle”, the CM stated. He stated that the sanitation workers were exploited during the Samajwadi Party regime and were paid meagre wages. “We will ensure that if any sanitation worker meets with an accident or an unfortunate incident, arrangements are made to provide Rs 35–40 lakh through the bank concerned,” he added. The CM said when Swami Vivekananda went to the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, foreigners mocked his attire. In response, Vivekananda said, “Your identity is made by your clothing, but for us, our identity is made by our character.” He appealed to all Indians “to keep a picture of Maharshi Valmiki at their homes”, noting that “every narrator of the Ramayana first pays homage to Lord Valmiki”. CM urged the Valmiki community to educate their children and send them to school. If they become capable, they will lead the society, he said.
