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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Swami Vivekananda at India’s cultural center in Tanzania, saying that it bears witness to his timeless teachings that have transcended frontiers and highlights his message of faith in mankind.
Jaishankar came on Thursday following a trip to Zanzibar.
“Honoured to inaugurate the bust of Swami Vivekananda at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam,” Jaishankar tweeted after inaugurating the bust on Friday.
In his address on the occasion, the minister said, “It is a momentous occasion” to inaugurate the bust of one of the greatest spiritual leaders.
“This bust must certainly stand in testimony to his timeless teachings, which have transcended boundaries and actually underlying his message of faith in humanity,” Jaishankar said.
He also emphasized the significance of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, which has played an important role in promoting Indian culture and arts in Tanzania since its establishment in 2010.
According to Jaishankar, the cultural center’s goal is to promote not only Indian culture in Tanzania, but also Tanzanian culture in India.
He stated that his visit to Tanzania exemplifies how, in this age of globalisation, two countries like India and Tanzania can have more in common and do so in a mutually beneficial manner.
“What globalisation really means is that we are into each other’s lives in a very, very seamless fashion,” he said.
Describing Vivekananda’s pose in the bust, he said: “It is very interesting when you see the statue which is in front of you, this is the pose that is most famous… radiates confidence, self-assurance, a belief in our history and traditions in our culture.
“This is somebody in the 19th century when India is still under colonial occupation, who is trying to make an Indian society believe in itself.
“Such a person actually is not just..motivating and inspiring through discussion and debate on our own traditions, but he is also at the same time engaging the world with a higher degree of self-confidence that he goes around the world discussing Indian religion, Indian faith, Indian beliefs, and is able to reconcile emerging nationalism in India with the message of internationalism,” he said.
In this age of globalization, Jaishankar believes it is critical that “we express our culture and practice our, but that we are equally appreciative of those of others, and where we see examples of confluence, fusion, and synthesis, it is something we should appreciate.”
Swami Vivekananda, according to Jaishankar, will always serve as an inspiration for India’s engagement with the rest of the world.
Source:BS
