Bhubaneswar: When the youths in our country grow up humming the popular bollywood number ‘Papa Kehte Hain Bada Kaam Karega, Beta Hamara Aisa Naam Karega…' , the man of renaissance, Swami Vivekananda, had a different take. He always strived hard to make the country great, not an individual.
“Buddha or Christ didn’t determine a country’s fate. It’s the common people who could decide what the fate would be like,” Monk Narendra often harped on this in his every speech.
Simply put, Vivekananda firmly believed in truly making ' Mera Bharat Mahan' – a popular slogan that rents the country’s air on every Independence and Republic Days.Stickers with this slogan do a brisk business during those days of national importance.
As the pandemic has clouded the growth horizons of the country and the world alike, the time is ripe to discover Vivekananda in every soul. And this can only make ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’, feel intellectuals here.
What Swami Vivekananda said is not a mere idealism, the year of Covid19 had evidenced it. It’s the steely resolve of the common masses, even after goingthrough all travails and tragedies during the lockdown time, that had infused the potential in the country to contain the rampaging epidemic.
It’s monk Narendra who first gave the clarion call of ‘New India' aeons ago – in the 19th century. We are in the 21st century now, and PM Narendra Modi had now built a campaign around accomplishing ‘New India’.
What Is New India?
As per late Swami Lokeswarananda, Vivekananda’s 'New India’ is not the cities of dreamland – sky scrapers, imported cars, disneyland parks and all other extravaganzas.
Rather, he said, Swamiji’s New India is a nation where there is food for every mouth, roof over every head and work at every hand.
What Is Vivekananda Model?
When the country and state is witnessing a cacophony over the supremacy claims of umpteen models – Rahul Model, Gujarat Model and Naveen Patnaik Model, time to rewind to Vivekananda Model.
As per late Swami Lokeswarananda, the cardinal pillar of Vivekananda Model is ‘Character building through education’.
Character Education -The Revolutionary Smart Chip!
The 2Cs have wreaked havoc in India. Corruption and crime are taking a big toll on India or say Odisha’s growth story.
Be it UP’s Badaun or Odisha' s Nayagarh, the incidents of crime against women have a very nauseating impact on society. Similar déjà vu moments also were: from Mining to Pathak scam in Odisha.
Other skeletons: Kashipur to Nagada Malnutrition et al.
According to Swami Atmaprabhananda, Secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Odisha, the character building chip in Indian Education system would have scripted stories of miràcle for the society. Because, character will banish the human vices, he claimed.
“Vivekananda believed that character inclusive education is the foundation stone and science & technology are the pillars of progress. A strong foundation and resilient pillars can only build the New India or New Odisha,” opined Swami Atmaprabhananda.
In order to make our Bharat Mahan, the moment is apt to put into practice ‘Vivekananda Model’ – tried and tested at Chicago World Religions Conference in 1893.