Congress pays tribute to Swami Vivekananda, extends greetings on National Youth Day

New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday remembered spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary, and said he believed in India’s intrinsic value of unity.

Extending greetings on National Youth Day, he said the youth is vying for change and their aim to take India to the pinnacle of global progress can be achieved only if the society is in harmony.

“We extend our warmest greetings on National Youth Day, celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of one of India’s greatest philosophers Swami Vivekananda, who believed in India’s intrinsic value of unity – ‘Bharat Jodo’,” he said in a tweet.

In his message to fellow citizens, especially the youth, Kharge said on the behalf of the Indian National Congress, “I extend you the warmest greetings on National Youth Day”.

“Swami ji believed in India’s intrinsic values of ‘Bharat Jodo’, which is clearly enunciated by his historic address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, excerpts of which I want to recall today.

“Swami ji said ‘Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilisation, and sent whole nations to despair ‘,” he said.

The Congress chief said as crores of our people, aspire and dream about unifying India and fighting prejudices and hate, Swami ji’s message remains the guiding light for all of us, especially our youth.

Noting that India is home to a fifth of the world’s youth population, he said India’s youth is vying for change, dreaming about a better and secured life.

“They aim to take India to the pinnacle of global progress. We know that this can only be possible if we break the barriers of religion, caste, language, ethnicity, colour, creed or gender.

“Only a society living in harmony can achieve this. So let us join hands to usher this change. Like Swami Vivekananda ji said – ‘Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached!’,” Kharge said in his message.