Addressing the centenary celebration of Swami Atmasthananda on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India’s holy tradition and proclaimed the vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”.
Prime Minister Modi paid tribute to Swami Atmasthananda recalling his time with him. The Prime Minister said: “This event evokes a wide range of emotions and memories. He was always a blessing to me, and there was an opportunity to be with him. I was lucky to stay in touch with him until the very end.
The Prime Minister expressed his delight at the release of a photographic biography and documentary to publicize Swami ji’s mission to the general public. Swami Vivekanand, he said, “shaped the great tradition of ‘sanyasth’ into a modern form”, and Swami Atmasthananand “retired into this form and lived and implemented it in life” .
The Prime Minister recalled his time with Swami Atmasthananda, saying he had had the chance to speak to him in Gujarati. The Prime Minister also mentioned the time of the Kutch earthquake when relief efforts were led by Swami ji.
Prime Minister Modi said, “Everyone knows the saints of the Ramakrishna mission as the conductors of national unity in the country. And when he travels abroad, he represents Indianness. The Prime Minister mentioned Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa, who had a clear vision of Maa Kali and had surrendered his whole being at her feet.
“All this world, this variable and this constant, everything is traversed by the consciousness of the mother. This awareness is seen in the Kali Puja of Bengal. A bundle of this awareness and power has been illumined by Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa in the form of Yugpurushas like Swami Vivekananda. The spiritual vision that Swami Vivekananda felt about Mother Kali infused him with tremendous energy and power,” he said.
He continued, “A powerful personality like Swami Vivekananda would get excited like a little child in devotion to Jaganmata Kali.” Swami Atmasthananand, the Prime Minister said, possessed the same sincerity of devotion and the same power as Shakti Sadhana.
Commenting on Prime Minister Modi’s statements on Goddess Kaali, BJP leader Amit Malviya drew attention to the recent controversy surrounding a controversial depiction of the deity and said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks reverently about the makes Maa Kaali the center of devotion, not just for Bengal. but all India. On the other hand, a TMC MP insults Maa Kaali and Mamata Banerjee instead of acting against her, defends her abhorrent portrayal of Maa Kaali…”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with respect that Maa Kaali is the center of devotion, not only for Bengal but for all of India. On the other hand, a TMC MP insults Maa Kaali and Mamata Banerjee instead of acting against her, defends her hateful portrayal of Maa Kaali… pic.twitter.com/6O4vYGkasi
—Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 10, 2022
A row had erupted after a Canadian-based filmmaker depicted Goddess Kali smoking in his film. TMC MP Mahua Moitra had defended the representation, drawing complaints.
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