Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday, speaking at an event organised by the Akhil Bhartiya Mahanubhav Parishad, exhorted individuals to work with honesty and commitment instead of shortcuts, cautioning that shortcuts will yield quick results but "undermine" long-term credibility.
"There is a shortcut to achieve anything. A person reaches faster through shortcuts. If you want to cross the road by breaking the rules, then it may be that there is a red light and you cross it, but one meaning of shortcut is that it cuts you short. That is why we have been given values like honesty, credibility, dedication, and truth. The long-lasting success belongs to truth. As Lord Krishna wrote in the Bhagavad Gita - In the end, truth always wins," he said.
At a lighter level, Mr Gadkari asserted that telling the truth is usually "prohibited" in his profession.
"In the field where I work, speaking the truth with all my heart is prohibited. The one who can fool people the best can be the best leader," he said.
The Minister also praised the teachings of Chakradhar Swami, the founder of the Mahanubhav sect, highlighting their relevance for leading a principled life.
"The teachings of the Mahanubhav sect founder Chakradhar Swami are an inspiration for all to follow in their lives. Change in a person is related to the values taught to him. Chakradhar Swami taught values of truth (satya), non-violence (ahimsa), peace (shanti), humanity (manavta), and equality (samanta). Satya is the basis of our life, and we should follow it," he said while asserting that one must spread positivity and not hurt anyone.
Mr Gadkari, who is renowned for making blunt statements that tend to cause a stir, earlier this month drew attention to the necessity of pursuing court cases against the government for their accountability. "There should be some people in society who file petitions against the government in court. This disciplines the politicians. (This is) because even ministers in the government cannot do the work that a court order can do. Popular politics comes in the way of politicians and ministers," he said.
He expressed dismay last year about opportunistic politicians seeking to join the governing party, labeling such "deterioration in ideology" as unhealthy for democracy. He also pointed out that although there are some leaders who continue to stand by their principles, these are becoming less in numbers. "I always say this jokingly that no matter which party's government it is, one thing is sure that the one who does good work never gets respect and those who do bad work are never punished," he said without taking any name.
Mr Gadkari has in the past recommended innovative steps for enhancing public discipline, including a Rs 500 reward for reporting parked cars without a valid reason and substituting vehicle horns with Indian traditional instruments.
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