Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday urged young people to stop wasting time on social media and instead read books, particularly autobiographies of great personalities, to draw inspiration from their lives.He was speaking after releasing the autobiography of former President Ram Nath Kovind, ‘Bharatiya Ganrajya Ki Vijaygatha: Mera Jeevan, Mera Sangharsh’, at Lok Bhavan in Lucknow.He encouraged the youth to take a leaf out of the former President’s life, calling it an inspiring journey which took him from a life of struggle to the country’s highest constitutional office.“Kovind ji did not use deprivation as a shield but worked with it towards progress and struggle. He charted his life through hard work, perseverance and firm determination. His life is a source of inspiration for the youth and students of the country,” he said.Dwelling on the book, Yogi said the autobiography was the story of an Indian who did not allow difficulties of life to become obstacles to progress.Born into an extremely poor family in Paraunkh village, Kovind lost his mother at a very young age. He was educated at the village school, pursued higher education and became an advocate, giving voice to the underprivileged and the poor. He began his political journey with BJP, became a Rajya Sabha member, went on to serve as Bihar governor and ultimately President of India.He praised Kovind for having kept a close connection with his birthplace, making it a point to visit it frequently.In fact, he added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also visited the village once.“Even after retiring as President, Kovind ji visits old associates whenever he gets the opportunity. When he visits Kanpur, he heads to his village, and when he comes to Lucknow, he doesn’t forget to meet old acquaintances. His relationships with the chaat vendor, tea seller, cloth merchant and other old acquaintances remain intact even today,” the CM revealed.Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak called Kovind “a voice of the poor and the aggrieved”.“There are very few people in society who not only understand the problems of deprived sections but also strive to find solutions for them on the ground,” he said.Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said Kovind’s life was an example of how a person can preserve their fundamental values, upbringing and simplicity even after attaining the highest constitutional office.UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana said: “There is no constitutional office higher than that of President in a democracy, yet he remained grounded even after reaching such heights. His life is an inspiring example of simplicity, humility, firm determination and warm connections with ordinary people.”
