In honour of Swami Vivekanand’s birth anniversary, January 12 is celebrated as the National Youth Day across the length and breadth of the country. A majority of people in our country often recognise and see him as a spiritual leader only. However, it would be incorrect and reflect a narrow and incomplete swotting on his teachings, ideas and philosophy. By delving into his dynamic works and ideas, one could securely construct a conclusion that Swami Vivekanand's contemplation, his ways of life, valiance in his thoughts, teachings, his ideas and understanding on the Indian societies were not only spiritual and religious but also bears the attributes of a social reformer as well. Such attributes and character make Swami Vivekanand one of the youngest and initial socio-political thinkers of modern India.
A GUIDE FOR THE WORLD
Swami Vivekananda was born in the Renaissance era of Bengal where thoughts, reforms and ideas of luminaries like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Debender Nath Tagore and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar were playing a vital role in shaping the Indian societies. This could have been one of the reasons why he evolved as one of the most eminent philosophers, socio-political thinkers whose speeches, literary works and his life became a guiding path not only for India but for the world. It will not be an exaggeration at all to say that the Constitution of India that we are seeing today is inspired by the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, perhaps for this reason only many scholars, members of drafting committee of the Constitution, intellectuals, savants from around the globe and even the guardian of Constitution, i.e., the Supreme Court of India contemplated the ideas and philosophies of Swami Vivekanand on numerous occasions which are conspicuous in their writings, debates and in the Judgements pronounced by the Apex Court.
SWAMIJI’S PHILOSOPHY INFLUENCES APEX COURT
At this juncture, it would be pertinent to note that in one of the landmark decisions by Supreme Court of India that had indeed strongly gripped the attention of entire Sanatan Samaj as well as others in our nation, and even across the borders, stretching to the West, whereby the five judges’ Constitution bench held that the women, irrespective of their age, have right to enter into the Sabrimala Temple in Kerala. However, this decision was not unanimous, the only dissenting voice in the bench was by the only woman judge in the said five judges’ Constitution bench, i.e., from Justice Indu Malhotra, who opposed the entry of woman into the Sabrimala Temple in light of the facts and circumstances of the case. Justice Indu Malhotra’s dissenting judgment had also followed and mentioned the Swami Vivekanand’s ideas and philosophies on societal morality over the constitutional morality to achieve its ends. Further, recently the current Hon’ble Chief Justice of India Shri N V Ramanna, while delivering his speech, navigated himself to the Swami Vivekanand’s socio-political ruminations on tolerance, secularism and universal acceptance. He further reminded Swami Vivekanand’s call wherein he asked the youth to get acquiesced and be empathetic with the societal realities and its challenges along with becoming an independent and economical successful. Swami Vivekanand and his thoughts are not only welcomed by a particular class, caste, creed, religion or region but to the entire mankind. His ideology, expressions and concerns about the societal challenges had inspired and are doing so even today to every segment of society. The same is evident from the fact that his actions were an inspiration to the Indian Independence and activists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who was often called as a leader of ‘Garam Dal’ as well as Mahatma Gandhi, who is recognised as the embodiment of peace across the globe and advocated methods and procedures of ‘Naram Dal’.
More than a century ago, Swami Vivekanand even talked about the rights of a married woman on her ‘stridhan’ (gift, articles, goods given at the time of marriage to the woman) and explained why it exclusively belongs to her only, and the husband and his family members do not have any right over it. This philosophy is clearly adopted in today’s Laws of India
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, while speaking about Swami Vivekanand, appreciated his courage and extraordinary sagacity to stand against the erstwhile prevailing phenomenon of English education and the flood of material science. Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi, while paying homage and respect on December 6th, 1921, in the revered memory of Swami Vivekanand, had said that “I have gone through his works very thoroughly, and after having gone through them, the love that I had for my country became thousandfold”. Similarly, the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi acknowledged the fact that Swami Vivekanand was the one who taught us about our inheritors of glorious and sublime culture and at the same time he analysed the root causes of our national malady.
Such a list of diversified and distinguished personalities from different ideologies, regions, religions who have either advocated or propagated the thoughts of Swami Vivekanand is too long. This only proves that he was all-loving, all-acceptable, whose life can be seen achieving perfection even today.
In these contemporary and prevailing times, we all often find ourselves debating, sensitising or protesting for the Fundamental Rights but at the same time prefer to remain silent when it comes to the Fundamental Duties. Similar to the Fundamental Rights, Article 51-A containing the Fundamental Duties, becomes a vital part of the Indian Constitution. The Article 51-A was only inserted by way of an amendment to the Constitution of India in 1976. It was purported to be inspired from the USSR’s Constitution, but the said duties as envisaged under the Indian Constitution have a long and ancient history. What Swami Vivekanand said on the duties of the citizens a century ago and what was his philosophy on it is an interesting subject to study. The philosophy derived from Swami Vivekananda's thoughts clearly states what is the responsibility of every citizen living in a nation. His teachings are squarely inclined to develop respect towards ideals, institutions and the Nation.
The Detroit Free Press, March 25, 1894, encapsulates a brief of his lecture delivered at Unitarian Church wherein he told the audience to not compare women in the East by the Western standard, as in West woman is the wife, whereas in the East she is the mother. More than a century ago, he even talked about the rights of a married woman on her ‘stridhan’ (gift, articles, goods given at the time of marriage to the woman) and explained why it exclusively belongs to her only, and the husband and his family members do not have any right over it. This philosophy is clearly adopted in today’s Laws of India. Such rich philosophical ideas had inspired the Constitution framers, his teachings are apparent in today’s evolving legal system and his life from which even the Apex Court and people from all sections of society are taking inspiration cannot be called a mere religious teacher; he is much beyond that, a socio-political thinker, one of the youngest eminent philosophers in contemporary times.
