New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday declared that a national committee has been formed under his chairmanship, for paying tribute to Hindu spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary.
Born on Jan 12,1863, Vivekananda is considered a key figure in the revival of Hindu philosophies and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a world religion during the end of the 19th century.
He was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission — a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded on May 1, 1897 — which conducts extensive work in health care, disaster relief, rural management, tribal welfare, elementary and higher education and culture.
The Prime Minister on Wednesday announced a grant of Rs 100 crores for “Value Education Project” to the Ramakrishna Mission.
Singh said, “I sincerely hope that the project will help to inculcate in our children a moral compass and a value system that provides a bulwark against the tide of commercialism and consumerism that is sweeping our societies.”
The Prime Minister also asserted that the government of India has approved for a film on Swami Vivekananda by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust.
“Swami Vivekananda dedicated his life to the service of his motherland and to the spiritual awakening of Indian people. He worked to instill pride in his countrymen in their cultural heritage. He tried to build a national consciousness that was modern, rational and universal,” he said.
Singh said that all Indians must dedicate themselves to Vivekananda’s mission of building a self-confident India where each citizen has the right to his or her own self-respect, dignity and well being.
