Written by Shaurya Doval
Vivekananda is globally known for his speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, in which he introduced Hinduism to the western world and spoke about the importance of love, empathy, and universal acceptance as key elements of achieving world peace. His speech was widely praised and helped establish him as a leading figure in the global spiritual community.
Vivekananda was also deeply committed to social justice and worked to improve the lives of the poor and marginalised in India. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission, a charitable organisation that provides education, healthcare, and other social services to those in need. Today, Swami Vivekananda’s teachings and philosophy continue to inspire people around the world and are celebrated every year on National Youth Day in India. His message of love, compassion and universal acceptance is as relevant today as it was when he first delivered it over a hundred years ago.
As India continues to develop and modernise, the government has taken steps to honour and preserve Swami Vivekananda’s legacy. The current government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has implemented various initiatives to promote the ideals and thoughts of Vivekananda. State governments across the country have established various schemes like the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme, which provides financial assistance to young people pursuing higher education. The government has also implemented other initiatives and programmes to promote the ideals and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, including the establishment of Vedanta Chair professorships at universities, and the funding of research on Vedanta and other traditional Indian philosophies. The government has finally recognised the importance of Indian philosophies in shaping the country’s cultural and spiritual identity.
PM Modi has been a strong advocate for the celebration of World Yoga Day, which was recognised by the United Nations in 2015. In his speeches and statements, he has emphasised the importance of yoga in promoting physical and mental health, as well as in fostering harmony and understanding among people of different cultures and backgrounds. These ideas are consistent with the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, who saw yoga as a way to improve the lives of individuals and bring about positive change in the world.
So, how is the BJP government’s moral compass, either under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Modi, close to the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda? A critical examination of the works of Deendayal Upadhyay, whose ideas form the ideological basis for the BJP, it is evident that his teachings were an amalgamation of the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. For example, the concept of integral humanism followed the tradition of Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Vivekananda was one of the greatest advocates. Upadhyay’s “antyodaya”, which forms the key driving force of all the policies of the central government is inspired by Vivekananda’s zeal to uplift the poor and the marginalised and also mirrors Gandhi ji’s “sarvodaya”.
The concept of swadeshi that aims to drive the economic policies based on our cultural, civilisational, nationalist values and ethos is inspired by the self-reliant principles of both Swamiji and Gandhiji. Thus, every time a leader with roots in the ideologies of the BJP assumes the nation’s top position of service, the thoughts of Swamiji will reflect in his/her words and actions.
The teachings of Swami Vivekananda continue to inspire and influence generations across the world today. His emphasis on unity, self-reliance, and compassion has resonated with people of all faiths and backgrounds, and his message of hope and possibility has had a lasting impact on people across the globe. I believe that the teachings of Swami Vivekananda on building a strong and prosperous Bharat offer a valuable and inspiring perspective that can help us to create a brighter and more hopeful future for ourselves and our future generations.
The writer is a member, Board of Governors, India Foundation and state convenor, Good Governance, BJP Uttarakhand
