Thiruvananthapuram: Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday said the world was facing multiple challenges, including humanitarian crises, natural disasters, displacement, poverty, loneliness and environmental degradation, and stressed that humanity needed compassion more than technological advancement to address them.Speaking at Vishwa Seva Dinam celebrations to mark Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s 73rd birthday at Amritapuri in Kollam, Radhakrishnan said, “Humanity needs more than technological advancement. It needs compassionate advancement.”He said India was progressing towards the vision of Viksit Bharat and development required infrastructure, technology, investment, innovation and economic growth. However, development should also have a human face, he said.“While marching towards attaining Viksit Bharat, we must ensure that modernity and our civilisational values move together,” he said. He called for ensuring that Viksit Bharat was inclusive and no one was left behind.He said Amritanandamayi’s charitable and humanitarian activities across various sections of society were exemplary and a matter of pride.“Material poverty can be alleviated with money, food and other forms of assistance. But to overcome inner poverty, people need to cultivate love, faith in God and values. Amma’s various initiatives are aimed at addressing both forms of poverty,” he said.Mata Amritanandamayi Math handed over Rs 2 crore to Surendra Thapa, Nepal’s ambassador to India, for relief activities in areas affected by flash floods there.Financial assistance was also handed over to the families of those killed in the Thrissur fireworks tragedy and the families of fishermen who died in boat accidents at Neendakara in Kollam and Muthalapozhi in Thiruvananthapuram following rough seas.Certificates for beneficiaries of medical assistance, including free organ transplant surgeries being conducted under the aegis of Amrita Hospital, were distributed at the function. Financial assistance was also provided to self-help groups functioning under the Math.A mass marriage, involving 25 couples, was held under Amritanandamayi’s guidance. Gold ornaments were distributed to the couples.Besides Thapa, governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, chief minister V D Satheesan, Union civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu and Union minister Suresh Gopi attended the function.The postal department issued a special postage stamp to mark the occasion and presented it to Amritanandamayi through postmaster general Amitabh Singh.
