Has Narendra Modi, after nearly a century of his ideological family's opposition to Mahatma Gandhi, finally found Gandhi's thought palatable? Is this the effect of Rahul Gandhi's persistent Gandhian marches and his politics of "Mohabbat ki Dukaan"? Or is the Prime Minister quietly returning to the Gandhian fold?

If not, why did a Prime Minister shaped by Savarkar's militarised Hindutva and Golwalkar's Bunch of Thoughts choose to gift Vladimir Putin a 2,000-year-old Tamil classic — the Thirukkural — rather than a volume by Savarkar, Golwalkar, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, or Deendayal Upadhyaya? The answer is uncomfortable for his own ecosystem: the Thirukkural speaks of truth, of non-violence, of secular ethics. It invokes neither Ram nor Krishna. It has nothing to do with militarised Hindutva.
Prime Minister Modi presented the Thirukkural to President Putin in New Delhi on 11 September 2026, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
Thirukkural: A Priceless Book
The text is a treatise on ethics. It speaks of truth and non-violence, and offers a clear moral framework for leadership, governance, and civic life. Composed roughly two millennia ago, the Thirukkural contains 1,330 couplets that address questions ranging from personal character to statecraft. That is why its relevance today — for India and the world — is not merely cultural but profoundly practical.
Relevance for India
The Thirukkural is secular and universal. It does not command allegiance to any deity or sect; it centres on the "morality of the common citizen," which matters deeply in a plural India. Having placed Ram at the heart of its Hindutva politics for seven decades and risen to power on that foundation, does the BJP now understand what pluralism truly means?
A Domestic Textbook of Morality
The Kural is relevant at three levels:
1) Individual and Social Ethics: Non-Violence Before Truth
The Kural states unambiguously that the greatest Dharma is non-violence, and truth comes next.
Kural 323 (Page 135, Gita Press edition)

Original Tamil

Oṉṟāka nallatu kollāmai maṟṟataṉ
piṉcārap poyyāmai naṉṟu

Translation

"Non-killing is the foremost virtue; truthfulness follows immediately after."

Meaning

Thiruvalluvar declares that among all Dharmas, the highest is the refusal to take any life; next comes the practice of truth. The couplet becomes sharply relevant today, when violence and falsehood are openly weaponised in politics.
The text also emphasises gratitude, restraint, freedom from anger and envy, the value of good company, and the importance of education — the foundations of social trust and civic discipline.
2) Guidance for Governance and State Policy
The second section of the Kural — Porul (Wealth and Polity) — directly addresses rulers and administration: just governance alone guarantees prosperity; injustice and corruption corrode society.
Kural 388 (Page 162, Gita Press edition)
Original Tamil:
Muṟaiseytu kāppāṟṟum maṉṉavaṉ makkaṭku
iṟaiyeṉṟu vaikkappaṭum

Translation:
"The king who governs with justice and protects his people is revered as a god among them."

Meaning

The couplet sets the true test of governance: a ruler's legitimacy derives not from lineage or office, but from justice and the protection of the people. It is a direct question to governments that have made punishment and injustice instruments of rule.
The ideal ruler's virtues include honesty, impartiality, concern for public welfare, and restraint in punishment. Encounter killings and bulldozer justice undermine the very existence of the judiciary. The Kural also treats agriculture as the foundation of the economy, the balance of tax policy, the ethical use of intelligence, and prudence in war and peace — all of which speak directly to modern administrative challenges.
3) Alignment with Global Goals
The principles of the Kural — justice, restraint, compassion, ethical governance, and collective responsibility — conceptually align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Kural 221 (Page 105, Gita Press edition)

Original Tamil:
Vaṟiyārkkoṉṟu īvatē īkai maṟṟellām
kuṟiyetirppai nīr tuṭaittu

Translation:
"To give to the poor is true charity; all other giving is merely an expectation of return."

Meaning

This couplet speaks of compassion and selfless giving, directly linked to SDG-1 (poverty eradication) and SDG-2 (ending hunger). For Thiruvalluvar, true charity asks for nothing in return — not even votes. Do any ruling parties, of any stripe, distribute freebies without expecting direct political gain? The verse is a mirror to a governance system that views welfare itself through the lens of political advantage.

This is why campaigns like "Thirukkural for UNESCO" position the text within a global framework of human rights, peace, and ethical education.
Relevance for the World: A Universal Moral Blueprint
The Thirukkural names human failings — violence, falsehood, ingratitude — directly and offers alternatives. It speaks the language of human dignity, moral equality, and social justice — values embedded in it long before the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Translated into over 45 languages, the text displays remarkable parallels with Western philosophical traditions and Christian ethics, making it accessible to a global readership.
For conflict-ridden regions, multi-ethnic societies, and nations in democratic transition, the Kural's triveni of non-violence, truth, and justice can serve as a stable moral compass.
Why the Ruling Party Needs to Read It Even More
The Kural was written not for citizens alone, but for the ruling class. In today's context, it is essential reading for the ruling party and its leadership for three reasons:
1) The Ethical Use of Power: "The King's Conduct Is Governance"
The Kural makes clear that unethical behaviour is not governance but tyranny; a ruler's personal conduct determines the character of the state.
At the Ram Mandir consecration, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat publicly said the temple had been built, but Ram's maryada (dignity and propriety) must also be upheld. Yet many in the Sangh's ranks, emboldened by state patronage, openly foment lawlessness.
When rulers themselves practice truth, restraint, and impartiality, the administrative machinery signals honesty; a culture of corruption and favouritism cannot take root. From the electoral bond scandal to the temple donation theft, where is that honesty visible? (To Be Continued)

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