True religion cannot be basis of hatred: PM
Invoking the legacy of Swami Vivekananda, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday asked the people to battle religious fanaticism and asserted that true religion cannot be the basis of hatred and division, in comments seen as a veiled attack on the BJP and Narendra Modi.
“His truly great message for us which is of great relevance to our country and our sub-continent, was that true religion and true religiosity cannot be the basis of hatred and division but of mutual respect and tolerance for faiths and beliefs of all.” Singh said while paying tribute to the memory of Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary here.
In her address at the commemoration function, Gandhi hailed the relevance of Vivekananda’s teachings especially for the youth, and said the nation should not fail them in fulfilling the aspirations of the young to be educated, governed and employed better.
“Swamiji’s words are all the more weighty today as religious fanaticism of all hues threatens the peace of many nations and our region. His ideas must be taken into the hearts and minds of our new generation of young Indians who will and must battle against fanaticism,” UPA chairperson said.
Without mentioning the name of Modi, who has been appealing to the youth in Swami Vivekananda’s name in the run-up to lok Sabha polls, both said his teachings laid stress on communal peace and harmony.
Gandhi said the Swami’s teachings tell us not to fall prey to narrow mindedness and selfish motives and invoked the young profile of India to reach out to the youth for whom, she maintained, the teachings of Vivekananda are relevant.
“All over the world populations are ageing. But the profile of our nation remains young. India of the 21st century is a known society with a young population. A population with high expectations and aspirations.
“They want to be educated better. They want to be governed better. They want to find employment that meets their aspirations. We should not and cannot fail them,” she said.
Gandhi said, “We must rise above politics and heed histeachings of wisdom and tolerance.”She said in its long and glorious history, India has given birth to many men and women who have transformed the way people think, act and live and have given a new direction to society. Vivekananda is amongst the most illuminous of them all, she said.
The UPA chairperson described the life of Vivekananda as that of magnificent achievements and said several of the country’s great leaders drew inspiration from him in nation building. “He exercised a profound influence on all luminaries who came later....They learnt to draw inspiration from him,” she said.