Vivekananda made people self-confident: Tarun Vijay

NAGPUR: “Swami Vivekananda aggressively fought for Hindu religion, but, at the same time, he admired Lord Buddha. He was a man not just of good thoughts but also action who instilled self-confidence in countrymen,” said well-known thinker Tarun Vijay on Thursday.
Delivering a lecture on ‘Vishwaguru Bharat ke drashta Swami Vivekananda’ organized by the Nagpur centre of Vivekananda Kendra to mark his 145th birth anniversary at Scientific Society Hall, Vijay said that the seer showed light to a nation that has lost faith in its ability under the British rule.“His teachings enlightened old and young alike, and brought about a new awakening,” he said.
Narrating an incident from the life of the swami, Vijay said that Vivekananda realized the need for eliminating from society the deep-rooted religious misconceptions when he received a telegram informing of the news of his sister being forced to death as per the ‘sati pratha’ prevalent in those days.
“It was but logical for him to seek answers to such problems that ailed the society and help it come out of the morass. It dawned on him that day that austerity and praying to God alone will not bring any change in society and will also not stop forced religious practices and prejudices,” he added
Vijay said, “Aggression and passion of the swami made him a cyclonic monk of India. He was a man of foresight that channelized thinking of Indians.”
Vijay also spoke about the atrocities being perpetrated against the Hindus in some parts of the country. It was certainly not the India Vivekananda had thought of. “Every effort should be made to protect Hindus from the perpetrators.
“Vivekananda was a guiding light who stressed on gaining knowledge which can improve life. It would also rid society of many ills,” he said.
Anand Bagadiya, organization chief of Vidarbha region and Jagdish Hedau were present on the occasion.
(Reporting by Megha Tiwari)