By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda in JNU Campus, New Delhi today through video conferencing. Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and Vice-Chancellor, JNU, Prof. M Jagadesh Kumar also participated in the event.
Addressing the JNU students and the youth of the country, the Prime Minister expressed his views on harms of prioritizing ideology over national interest. He said this is one thing that has done great harm to the democratic system of our country. “Because my ideology says this, so in matters of national interest, I will think in the same framework, I will work on the same parameter, this is wrong”, said Shri Modi. It is natural to be proud of one’s ideology still, on the subjects of national interest, our ideology should be seen standing with the nation not against it, he stressed.
Prime Minister told the students that in the history of the country, whenever a difficult time arose before the country, people of every ideology came together in the national interest. People of every ideology stood united under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in the freedom struggle. They fought for the country together. The country saw the same solidarity during the Emergency. Former Congress leaders and activists were also present in the movement against the Emergency. There were RSS volunteers and Jana Sangh people. Socialists and communists too came together.
Prime Minister Modi stressed that in this solidarity, no one had to compromise on ideology. There was only one purpose – national interest. Therefore, whenever there is a question of national unity, integrity and national interest, taking decisions under the burden of any ideology will lead to the loss for the nation.
Prime Minister made it clear that idea-sharing and the flow of new ideas need to be kept uninterrupted. Our country is the land where seeds of different intellectual ideas have sprouted and thrived. It is necessary for the youth to strengthen this tradition. Due to this tradition, India is the most vibrant democracy in the world, Shri Modi said.
Prime Minister put forward the framework of the reform agenda of his government before the students. He added the idea of AtmaNirbhar Bharat has become the collective consciousness of more than 130 crore Indians, has become part of our aspirations. Continuing about the Reforms in India, the Prime Minister urged JNU students to ponder on how the notion of Good Reforms as bad politics changed to good reforms as good politics. He said today, behind the reforms, there is a resolve to make India better in every way. He added intention and determination underlying the Reforms happening today are sincere. He said before ongoing reforms, a safety net is being created and trust is the basis of this safety.
Prime Minister said for a long time the poor were kept in slogans only and there was no attempt to connect the poor of the country with the system. He said the poor were the most neglected, most unconnected and most financially excluded person earlier. He added now the poor are getting their own pucca house, toilet, electricity, gas, clean drinking water, digital banking, affordable mobile connectivity and fast internet connection. This is the safety-net woven around the poor, which is necessary for the flight of his aspirations. Similarly, through better irrigation infrastructure, modernization of mandis, E-Nam, soil health cards, availability of urea better MSP a safety network was created around the farmers. The government first worked for their needs, now it is working for their aspiration.
Prime Minister wished that Swami ji’s statue in JNU would inspire everyone and give courage, which Swami Vivekananda wanted to see in every person. He added this statue would teach compassion, which is the mainstay of Swamiji’s philosophy. He wished this statue would teach us immense dedication to the nation, teach intense love for our country which is the prime message of Swamiji’s life. He wished the statue to inspire the nation for the vision of oneness and to move forward with the vision of youth-led development, which has been the expectation of Swamiji. He wished the statue would continue to inspire us to realize Swamiji’s dream of a strong and prosperous India.
Speaking on the occasion Shri Pokhriyal said that unveiling of the statue of Swami Vivekananda, the great scholar and brand ambassador of the Indian knowledge system, is a matter of great pride and joy for all of us. The statue will remind our future generations about his values, philosophy and thoughts about the country, he added. The Minister further said that Swami Vivekananda has not only given an identity to the Indian Vedic philosophy all over the world but even today his famous speech in Chicago is a unique example of the educational and spiritual heritage of India on the global platform.
The Minister highlighted that our Prime Minister has given us a vision to make India a ‘global superpower of knowledge’ and a ‘mission’ is to create ‘global citizens’. Taking inspiration from Swami Vivekananda and in line with the vision and mission of the Prime Minister, our New Education Policy will nurture creativity, research, innovation and scientific temperament to create global citizens.
Talking about JNU, Shri Pokhriyal said that this university has always been the center of youth power. The Minister expressed his happiness that university has done very well in the last five years in NIRF rankings by promoting the culture of research. This year too, this university has been ranked second in the NIRF rankings, he added. Pokhriyal congratulated the entire JNU family for all these commendable and innovative steps and hoped that the day is not far when we will re-establish India as Vishwa Guru under the leadership of our Prime Minister.
