Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary, stated that the spiritual icon played a pivotal role in reawakening India's dormant self-consciousness. He made these remarks while addressing an event in Lucknow to mark 'Rashtriya Yuva Shakti Diwas' on Monday.
Awakening from a Lost Sense of Self
Adityanath described a period in Indian history where the nation had nearly lost its self-awareness. "Swami Vivekananda represented India which, at that time, due to its dormant consciousness, had almost lost its self-awareness," the Chief Minister said. He elaborated that this loss of identity was so profound that a handful of foreign invaders succeeded in enslaving the country.
"India was being plundered by a few people; its civilisation, culture, and traditions were being insulted," he added, framing Vivekananda's emergence as a transformative moment that reversed this trend.
Vivekananda's Global Declaration and Lasting Message
The CM highlighted Swami Vivekananda's historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 as a defining event. He recalled that Vivekananda declared he came from a tradition that has always shown the path of human welfare and expressed pride in his Hindu identity.
"This declaration filled the nation with energy," Adityanath asserted. He described the spiritual leader's journey from Narendra to Vivekananda as the evolution from a seeker to a transformer. The core message, he said, was focus on the goal, steadfastness in resolve, and continuity in action.
Contemporary Relevance and Call to Youth
Adityanath linked Vivekananda's vision to contemporary India's rising global stature. "There was a time when no one listened to India but today the world cannot do without listening to the country," he said, crediting the current leadership. He claimed that when the Prime Minister speaks today, the world listens and follows.
Aligning with Vivekananda's faith in youth, the CM appealed to young people to stay away from drugs and announced a crackdown. "We will run a campaign against drugs... the government will confiscate the property of drug traffickers," he warned. On employment, he stated that under Mission Rozgar, 9 lakh youth in Uttar Pradesh have received government jobs, emphasizing a transparent process without recommendations.
Earlier, in a post on social media platform X, Adityanath had hailed Swami Vivekananda as the torchbearer of Indian intellectual tradition and the one who re-established Sanatana Dharma on the world stage. He urged citizens to embrace Vivekananda's ideals for national service and social upliftment on National Youth Day.
