PM Modi pays tribute to Vinoba Bhave; recalls Swami Vivekananda's iconic Chicago speech

September 11 marks the birth anniversary of Indian human rights advocate Vinayak Narahari, better known as Vinoba Bhave, an ardent Gandhian who is known for launching the Bhoodan movement among other things.

This day also marks the anniversary of an iconic speech given by Indian thinker and philosopher Swami Vivekananda in Chicago in 1893. The speech at the World's Parliament of Religions is celebrated for Swami Vivekananda's impressive articulation of India's cultural ethos and its ancient values.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to mark the two notable milestones, posted tweets on Sunday for Bhave and remembered Vivekananda, a social reformer and spiritual figure that the BJP historically tried to appropriate.

Paying his tributes to Bhave, who was born in 1895, PM Modi tweeted, "His life was a manifestation of Gandhian principles". He also lauded Bhave's passion for social empowerment. It was Bhave who gave the clarion call of 'Jai Jagat.'

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"We are inspired by his ideals and are committed to realising his dreams for our nation," PM Modi tweeted.

 

He also noted the "special connection" September 11 has with Swami Vivekananda and shared the speech on Twitter. "It was on this day in 1893 that he delivered one of his most outstanding speeches in Chicago.

His address gave the world a glimpse of India's culture and ethos," the PM said on the microblogging site.

Meanwhile, an audio excerpt of PM Modi discussing how Vivekananda explained Advaita to the Western world has gone viral on social media.

 

On September 11, 2012, the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi carried out a massive Yatra (Swami Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra) across the state as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda's landmark Chicago speech at the World Parliament of Religions.

 

Swami Vivekananda is a spiritual and intellectual icon of India and is venerated by politicians to date for his contribution to nation-building and national regeneration.

The spiritual pioneer was the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math, which provided the core teachings of spirituality worldwide.

Vivekanda's gift of gab and his rebellious yet humble words earned him the title 'A wonder of oratorical powers'. He gained wide fame internationally at a time when India was still a British colony.