Mumbai, Sep 8 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday received the Phoenix Award from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

In his speech, he said receiving the award given by the Marathi Journalists Association at the hands of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has doubled his strength to work and handle the responsibilities of his post.

“Many people thought I was turning to ashes, but then I took flight,” he said while speaking about his political career and the difficulties that he faced in politics.

CM Fadnavis said, “In my entire political life, only two things have brought me this far. The first is patience, and the second is positivity. I will tell you a secret: if you notice that I am angry, it means that I am hungry. I get angry only when I am hungry. I calm down when I am given something to eat. Otherwise, I do not get angry much.”

He further said, “I try to see something good in every person I meet. And whatever work comes to me, I try to do it with positivity. You have named this award ‘Phoenix’. But I did not rise from the ashes. But many times, people thought that I was turning into ashes, then I took flight. Why was I able to take this flight? Whenever the moment of ashes came, I faced it with positivity. I never ran away from challenges. I faced challenges and faced them. I did not fight people, I did not hate them, and I did not do extreme politics. That is why I kept moving forward step by step in this difficult situation.”

CM Fadnavis further stated that Journalists and politicians are the two wheels of the democratic car. Only if these two wheels run together, democracy remains on the right track.

“It is the right of journalists to criticise, but at the same time, our side should also be heard. For democracy to deepen, the freedom of journalism must remain intact. The government is always by their side to solve the problems faced by journalists. In today’s competitive era, journalism has become more difficult. The challenge has increased after COVID. Journalists are on the streets day and night,” he added.

He assured that the government will provide all possible help so that this important pillar of democracy remains strong.

The Chief Minister said that positive thinking has enabled us to do useful work for many generations.

“The Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, initiatives to remove the frustration of farmers, were possible due to the inspiration of Gurudev. Art of Living activists worked shoulder to shoulder with the government and contributed to water conservation work. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has made a great contribution in getting Indian yoga, Ayurveda, medicine and traditions recognised at the global level. He worked to spread Indian thoughts around the world and teach the religion of humanity. This award received from him is a matter of special pride for me,” he expressed.

–IANS

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