IN THE NAME OF VIVEKANANDA
Aperson has no right to chant Vande Mataram if he does not care about cleanliness and disrespects women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he urged people to fight against social evils.
He underlined the need for social change and said, “follow the rule and India will rule” during a students’ convention marking the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago address and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya’s centenary celebrations.
Mr Modi wondered whether people who littered and dirtied the country had any right to the nationalist slogan.
“As I entered, I heard people loudly chanting Vande Mataram... I am asking all countrymen whether we have the right to chant Vande Mataram. I know this will hurt many people. We chew paan and spit it out on Mother India (Bharat maa par pichkaari mare) and then chant Vande Mataram. Throw garbage and then chant Vande Mataram. The sanitation workers have the first right to say Vande Mataram,” he said.
He reminded the youth that public service is the highest service. “Swami Vivekananda said that only rituals will not connect an individual to divinity,” he said, adding “Jan Seva is Prabhu Seva”. “More than being in search of a Guru, Swami Vivekananda was in search of the truth,” Mr Modi said.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile, used Swami Vivekananda to target the BJP and claimed his historic Chicago speech should be a charter for the way forward in what she described as today’s atmosphere of hate and intolerance in India. “While promoting the idea of the oneness of all religions, Swamiji promoted with equal zeal the idea of the equality of all human beings,” she said.
PM recalls Swami Vivekananda and underlined the need for social change I am asking all countrymen whether we have the right to chant Vande Mataram. I know this will hurt many people. We chew paan and spit it out on Mother India and then chant Vande Mataram. Throw garbage and then chant Vande Mataram. The sanitation workers have the first right to
say Vande Mataram.” — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister