President Pranab Mukherjee today exhorted the youth to take advantage of the moral and value based rich legacy of Swami Vivekananda's teachings to spread the message of universal humanity and brotherhood. Inaugurating the 150th birth anniversary celebrations at the Rastrapati Bhavan this evening, Mukherjee said, Swami Vivekananda primarily taught us to be proud of our inheritance and also on the importance of an able body, sound mind and value based education.
The President said the teachings of Swami Vivekananda should be conveyed across the country and abroad with a full realization of the powerful impact they have on the people of india.
Mukherjee said, Swami Vivekananda was a blazing a comet on the Horizon that left us behind invaluable moral values and teaching to be imbibed by everyone for universal good.
Speaking on the ocassion, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said, Swami Vivekananda's vision was based on a firm commitment to equity and liberty, secularism, religous harmonly and a deep faith in the common people of india.
She said, he had a global vision on an integrated and independent world and believed that no idea serves it purpose unless it is broad enough to accomodates the interests of entire humanity. Sonia Gandhi said, Swami Vivekananda championed the cause of the poor and downtrodden reminding the rich of their social responsibility to serve the poor.
She also praised the commedable social work being done by Ramakrishna Mission in fulfilling the wishes of Swami Vivekananda.
Sonia Gandhi also said, Swami Vivekananda's vision should be used to solve the complex challenges faced today.
Defence minister A.K Antony said, Swami Vivekananda believed that the root of all evil is the condition of the poor.
On the Ocassion of the 150th birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, Finance Minister Chidambaram released two commerative coins in the denominations of 150 rupees and 5 rupees , while IT minister Kapil Sibal released four commemorative postal stamps, one of 20 rupees denomination and three stamps of 5 rupees each.
