Viksit Bharat and Vivekananda’s Thoughts

Narendranath Dutt, also known as Swami Vivekananda, was born on Makar Sankranti day. It was also January 12. The Makara Sankranti marks the beginning of a transformation in nature. This birth also brought about a change in the nature of our country. That is why January 12 became National Youth Day. That change is continuing today. It will continue unabated. Because this country has its own message to deliver to the world. It has a mission to accomplish, for the welfare of the world. Since it is eternal, the mission never ends. It is eternal in its vision and everlasting in mission.  Swami Vivekananda is the personification of this country›s vision in action for the modern era. Not only is he an inspiration, but he is also a role model. Not only for the freedom movement but also the March towards Viksit Bharat.

Conquer the world with spirituality
In February 1897, Swami Vivekananda, the vishwa vijayi, arrived in Madras. From the 8th to the 14th, he presented his views and plans for the future of Bharat to thousands of people at various places in Madras. His speeches like “The Future of India”, “The work before us” and “My Plan of campaign” later became the hope, enthusiasm, idea and ideal of the Bharatiya youth. He declared to the assembled crowd that “nothing smaller than India’s world victory is his goal.” It was not an enthusiastic speech. It was a long-term plan for at least a hundred years. “The vision and spiritual thought of Bharat should once again be made bright and conquer the world”, that was his idea. (The work before us. Com works. Volume Three) .  He emphasized the need to disseminate India’s spiritual heritage, philosophy, and Sanskrit language throughout society.

Addressing the meeting held on the 14th of Feb, Swamiji spoke on the topic of ‘Future of India’. He said that for a bright future, every Indian should see and worship the country as the Virat form of God. Virat means our people that we see around us. Our society. India! He said in front of the breathless and excited youth. “Slaves must become great masters! so give up being a slave. For the next 50 years this alone shall be our keynote – this, our great mother India! Let all other vain Gods disappear for the time being from our minds. This is the only God that is awake, our own rice. Everywhere his hands, everywhere his feet, everywhere his ears, he covers everything.”(V. Sa. Sa. Vol. 3) This was like the Bhagavad Gita in front of the hopeless Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battlefield, creating fiery sparks.  (Last verse of the Gita – Desire for loss…. The clarion call  of duty rang out in the youth of India. It created resonances of enthusiasm in thousands. To be precise, this call was made on February 14, 1897. After completing 50 years, on February 23, 1947, the British Parliament, which had ruled India, presented a resolution to grant India independence. It was not a transfer of power through magic. It was the sacrifice of thousands of people, social reform movements against superstitions and immoralities in society, and the continuous efforts of many great people who touched the inner soul of India through the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda.

Independent India faced some setbacks in the beginning on the path to fulfilling its mission. The country, disguised as a democracy, moved towards family rule and autocracy. But India’s Brahma tejas and kshatra virya were revived. The popular uprising against the Emergency was more intense and sacrificial than the uprising against foreign rule. Not only against corruption and nepotism, but also against poverty and unemployment; against separatism and subversive activities, the youth, inspired by Vivekananda, worked tirelessly to awaken India’s sense of identity and to strengthen the sacred thread of unity amidst all diversity. Democracy remained strong even in times of political instability. The world has today accepted the concept that India is the mother of democracy.  And India has recognized its sense of identity and has acquired all the means to restore it. Management experts are talking about Yoga. ‘Yoga karmasu kaushalam!’ The healthcare sector is looking towards  Ayurveda. The slogan of environmental protection is “Mata: bhumi(Mother Earth)”. Our ‘Shanti mantras’ are consoling in the war fronts. The death knell of religious conflicts sounded by Swamiji at the World Parliament of Religions is echoing with the apologies and confessions of religious leaders and atonement.

Education to stand up on legs
In his speech, Swamiji had said that the sacrifice and patriotism of the youth were the energy for change, and he had also warned that the overall development of India could be possible only through the restoration of national education, which is, manifestation of divinity already in man. Swamiji said, “Of Course this is a very big screen, a very big plan. I do not know whether it will ever workout. But we must begin the work.” Swami also presented his vision of education in a crystal clear manner. “In the first place, it is not a man-making education. It is merely and entirely a negative education. Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We  must have life building, man making, character-  making assimilation of ideas.”  The ideal, therefore, is that we must have the whole education  of our country, spiritual and secular in our own hands. It must be on National lines. Through National methods as far as practical.” After 75 years of independence, India has adopted a  national education policy that emphasizes Indianness and adopts the views of Vivekananda. Exciting activities are being seen all over the country to integrate Indian languages, Indian traditions of knowledge, and life values ​​into the fabric of education.  Even those who opposed it for political reasons are now ready to accept it.

Those outside India are more convinced than India that the solution to the crises facing the world today is Indian values, philosophies and lifestyle. Today, we can see the youth in India everywhere, who see nature as their mother, who are passionate about raising the locals to be vocal.  They embrace their own language, dress and literature with self-respect. Instead of wandering around in search of employment, they are enthusiastic about becoming employers and entrepreneurs.

India has become the most promising country in the world due to its youth power. India, which was considered as an undeveloped country, has today grown to the forefront of the world’s economic power. The young generation in all parts of the world expresses a deep desire to acquire Indian knowledge like philosophy, music, yoga and Ayurveda. India is going to conquer the world once again. Not by weapons or by mere money power! But by  spiritual power. By love. By sacrifice. It is not the philosophy of the weak! It is the all encompassing  of the Almighty.  It is not about forgiving, it is about universal inclusiveness. Amrit Kaal is not for enjoying the present. It is indeed a struggle for uprooting the mindset of slavery and expressing self-respect.

Entrepreneurship Mantra of self-reliance
Swamiji, who roared from Colombo to Almora and shook India›s mind, arrived in Calcutta in 1897 December. In a long discussion with an educated disciple, in search of employment, Swamiji talks about entrepreneurship and the potential of India›s  different sectors like agriculture, traditional small scale industries. «What are you doing? Even after learning so much, you go about the doors of others,  crying, Give me enjoyment. Trampled under other’s feet, doing slavery for others, are you men any more? You are not worth a pin’s death! In this fertile country with abundant water supply, where nature produces wealth and harvests a thousand times more than another, you have no food for your stomach, no clothes to cover your body!” Here, not only  the attitude of the youth who have received modern education in India is criticized, but it is also being urged to recognize the area of ​​development potential of India.  Even though the agricultural lands of Punjab and Bengal were lost to India after partition, India still has the largest cultivable land area in the world. Economic policymakers say that it is about 159.6 million hectares.

The author is National Convenor,  Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas