Mamata Banerjee Honors Swami Vivekananda on His Death Anniversary

Tribute to a Great Philosopher

On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid homage to Swami Vivekananda on the anniversary of his passing, expressing her belief in his vision of Hinduism that prioritizes humanity above all.

Describing Vivekananda as a 'saint-patriot,' Banerjee shared her thoughts on social media, emphasizing that the message of universal brotherhood and peace he advocated remains highly relevant today. Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in a prosperous family in Kolkata and passed away on July 4, 1902.

Banerjee stated, “I share the same belief in the Hinduism that Swamiji espoused, which teaches that humanity is paramount. Inspired by his ideals, I hope that people in Bengal and across the nation, regardless of their religion, caste, or class, will respect and love one another.”

The Chief Minister also highlighted her government's efforts to ensure that the residences of Vivekananda and his disciple Sister Nivedita are entrusted to the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Sharada Mission, respectively.

Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897, while the Ramakrishna Sharada Mission, modeled after the Ramakrishna Math, is a women's monastic organization established in 1960. Banerjee mentioned that the state government provides annual grants for the maintenance of the museum at Swamiji's residence.

To further promote Swami Vivekananda's ideals among the younger generation, the state government has organized the 'Vivek Chetana Utsav' on his birthday, January 23.

Additionally, Banerjee noted that various government schemes for youth have been named after Swamiji, including the renaming of Salt Lake Stadium to 'Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan.'