Guwahati: Unveiling a life-size bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda at Barpeta Road in western Assam on Friday, State chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal commented that Vivekananda gave this world the essence of the Indian social system and ethos of Hindu culture. “He (Swami Vivekananda) 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 the service of mankind,” said Sonowal added that Swamiji helped to build a society based on the tenets of humanity.
The senior BJP leader emphasized concerted efforts to be taken to popularize the icon (Swami Vivekananda) among the younger generation and let them know Swami-ji’s ideology on Hindu philosophy. Vivekananda gave everything to the society following which the young generation can inculcate in them the virtues of morality, stated Sonowal.
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 north-eastern States got a new dimension when Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Vahapyee 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, shoot outs, extortions etc, but now its image has undergone a major change in the last few years, added Singh.
BJP State president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Vivekananda’s philosophical centre’s general secretary Chinmoy Bagchi, eminent social workers Basistha Bujarbaruah, 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 of the State.
