Revive Vishwa Bharati's glorious tradition for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’: PM

He was delivering a virtual address to the centenary celebrations of the Vishwa Bharati University today. Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, West Bengal Governor Jagdip Dhankad, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Bidyut Chakravarty were prominently present.

 

Prime Minister Modi’s address to academician came a day after he addressed the centenary celebrations of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) disseminating the message of development, equality and brotherhood to realize the dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

Citing the role played by various academic institutions set up during the heydays of the freedom struggle to spread knowledge and understanding among the masses, the Prime Minister said that this stream of knowledge succeeded in launching an ideological agitation during those days. The Bhakti tradition spread the message of unity and brotherhood; the Karma agitation inspired people to join the freedom movement and the knowledge movement provided the ideological support to our freedom struggle, he said adding that the Vishwa Bharati University had played a key role in this movement.

Today, we have to work hard to make new generation ready to bear the burden of making ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and to spread this message to the world to overcome the present crisis, he said adding that our country is taking the message of Vishwa Bharati to the world.

Quoting Bangla couplets from Gurudev Ravindra Nath Tagore in between his address Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Tagore’s thinking reflected the same spiritual thought of Indian nationalism which was evident from the Vedas to Swami Vivekananda. The Vishwa Bharati was his dream project based on his thinking, philosophy and toil, Modi said.

The Prime Minister further said that Gurudev also gave us the mantra of ‘Swadeshi’ which implied that we must strive to make our agriculture, commerce, business etc. ‘Atmanirbhar’. He talked of nation-building with energy of ‘Atma Shakti’. We have launched the movement to make Bharat a self-relient nation and our concept of development is not lopsided, it is global and total, Prime Minister Modi said.

Recalling the contribution and sacrifice of Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Veena Oddedar and other revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives for liberating Mother Bharat, Prime Minister Modi said that drawing inspiration from their lives we should live for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, set new goals and start our journey to achieve them. And in this journey Gurudev Tagore’s ideas and thoughts would act as our guide, he added.

He referred to the traditional ‘Poush Mela’ organized in the Vishwa Bharati annually. This year due to Covid-19 pandemic this was not held. But the Prime Minister made a fervent appeal to the students, teachers and others to contact the local artists and try to provide online market to their handicrafts and other products.

He said that institutions like Vishwa Bharati were not set up just for stuffing information. They are meant to be ‘seats of learning’. They are here to liberate knowledge from all bondages and to make students ready to face new challenges, and scale new heights.

Earlier, Governor Jagdip Dhankad made introductory remarks. Vice-Chancellor Dr. Bidyut Chakravarty proposed vote of thanks.