PM Narendra Modi recalls Swami Vivekananda's iconic September 11, 1893 speech delivered at Chicago

Swami Vivekananda became popular in the western world after his famous speech at the World`s Parliament of Religions. PM Modi said that his speech "beautifully demonstrated the salience of Indian culture"

New Delhi: On September 11, 1893, Swami Vivekanada's speech at the World Religion Conference in Chicago drew the attention of the world to Hinduism, India and its plurality. And today (September 11, 2021), Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled Vivekananda's iconic address. "Recalling Swami Vivekananda`s iconic 1893 speech at Chicago, which beautifully demonstrated the salience of Indian culture. The spirit of his speech has the potential to create a more just, prosperous and inclusive planet," PM Modi said in a tweet.

Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s iconic 1893 speech at Chicago, which beautifully demonstrated the salience of Indian culture. The spirit of his speech has the potential to create a more just, prosperous and inclusive planet. https://t.co/1iz7OgAWm3 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2021

On this day (Sept 11) in 1893, Vivekananda delivered a speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He is believed to have introduced the concepts and ideals of the Vedanta to the Western world. Swami Vivekananda became popular in the western world after his famous speech at the World`s Parliament of Religions. He was also the chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.

He was considered a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and bringing it to the status of major world religion in the late 19th century.Swami Vivekananda`s birthday on January 12 is also observed as National Youth Day in the country.

Vivekananda in his iconic speech had said, "I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth."

He had also said, "Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal."

(With Agency inputs)