India had almost lost self-consciousness, Vivekananda awakened it: Adityanath

Adityanath said that the entire journey of the spiritual guru from Narendra to Vivekananda is the journey of a spiritual seeker to that of a transformer. (Image: @myogioffice/X)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that India’s self-consciousness remained dormant as the country had almost lost self-awareness to the extent that a handful of foreign invaders succeeded in enslaving it and that it was Swami Vivekananda who awakened it.

Addressing an event in Lucknow to mark ‘Rashtriya Yuva Shakti Diwas’ on the spiritual icon’s birth anniversary, the Chief Minister said, “Swami Vivekananda represented India which, at that time, due to its dormant consciousness, had almost lost its self-awareness. If you want to understand what slavery truly means, you can learn about it by looking at India of that time, which had lost its self-awareness to the extent that a handful of foreign invaders succeeded in enslaving the country. India was being plundered by a few people; its civilisation, culture, and traditions were being insulted,” the CM said.

“Unhone kaha tha jisne sada manavata ke kalyan ka marga dikhaya main us parampara ka pratinidhitva is summit mein kar raha hun. Aur mujhe garva hai ki main Hindu hun. (He had said I come to represent that tradition in this summit, which has always shown the way of welfare of the humanity and I am proud that I am a Hindu),” said Adityanath.

The “young ascetic”, he said, played a crucial role in awakening the country’s self-consciousness.

Swami Vivekananda declared at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, in 1893, that he came from a tradition of India that has always shown the path of human welfare, he said. Adityanath also said that in the World’s Parliament of Religions, Vivekananda had said that we had intellect, opulence, and strength, but we did not impose our views forcibly.

This declaration filled the nation with energy, the CM asserted.

Also, Adityanath said there was a time when no one listened to India but today the world cannot do without listening to the country. “This is the strength and capability of the country today. “Today, when the PM speaks, the world listens and follows him,” he claimed.

“Swami Vivekananda had firm faith that India would establish itself as the ‘vishwaguru’ on the strength of youth power and spiritual consciousness. Today, we are seeing it taking a concrete shape,” Adityanath said.

He appealed to the youth to stay away from drugs. “We will run a campaign against drugs, you provide confidential information, the government will confiscate the property of drug traffickers,” he said.

The CM added that under Mission Rozgar, government jobs have been provided to 9 lakh youth of the state. “Now, no recommendations, money transactions, and ‘Mahabharat ke Rishte’ (apparently referring to the Samajwadi Party) can step out for recovery. If they do so now, they will go to jail. Investment proposals worth Rs 15 lakh crore have been brought to the ground,” he said.

Earlier in a post on X, CM Adityanath hailed Swami Vivekananda as the torchbearer of Indian intellectual tradition and one who re-established Sanatana Dharma on the world stage.

“Swami Vivekanand’s thoughts proved that Hinduism is the supreme guide for the overall progress and welfare of humanity. On this National Youth Day, let us embrace his ideals in our lives and strengthen our resolve for national service and social upliftment,” Adityanath said in his post. — PTI