IT Correspondent
Guwahati, Feb 20:
Marking the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s return to India after delivering the historic speech at Chicago religious congregation in 1893, a life-size bronze statue of the great son of the soil was unveiled at Barpeta Road in western Assam by State chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Speaking on the occasion on 19 February 2021, Sonowal commented that Vivekananda gave this world the essence of Indian social system and ethos of Hindu culture. “Swami Vivekanada appreciated the spirit of Indian philosophy and showed humanity the right path to progress. Inspired by this great soul, we need to go forward to forge a society based on service of mankind,” said Sonowal added that great saint helped in building a society based on the tenets of humanity.
Emphasizing on concerted efforts to popularize the icon among the younger generation and let them know Swami-ji’s ideology on Hindu philosophy, Sonowal stated that Vivekananda gave everything to the society following which the young generation can inculcate in them the virtues of morality.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he asserted that Modi-ji has taken all initiatives to transform India into a world leading nation based on the principle of Vivekananda. Citing Vivekananda’s epoch-making Chicago speech, Sonowal said that it put India on a high pedestal in front of the world community.
Moved by PM Modi, the State government in Dispur has taken several steps for empowerment of women, disclosed Sonowal expressing hope that the Vivekananda statue unveiled at Barpeta would help the people of all sections especially the youngsters to move forward in the right spirit of humanity.
Sonowal also claimed that the development of the north-eastern States got a new dimension when Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Vajpayee became Prime Minister of the country. It finally received a new fillip as Modi came to New Delhi and soon discovered the hidden potential of the region surrounded by various foreign countries.
Union minister responsible for the development of the north-eastern region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh appreciated Sonowal for his relentless efforts to change the image of Assam. The region was earlier known only for wrong reasons like bomb blasts, shootouts, extortions etc, but now its image has undergone a major change in the last few years, added Singh.
Housefed chairman Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Vivekananda’s philosophical centre’s general secretary Chinmoy Bagchi, eminent social activist Basistha Bujarbaruah, social worker Shankar Das and a host of other dignitaries were also present on the occasion, where Sonowal stated that the present government has succeeded in minimizing the gap between Brahmaputra and Barak valleys to a greater extent.
