Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expounded on the significance of Swami Vivekananda’s emphasis on women’s leadership and empowerment during the 125th Anniversary celebrations of Ramakrishna Math at Vivekananda House in Chennai on Saturday (April 8).
Citing Vivekananda’s beliefs that women can lead society and solve problems when provided with the right platform, Modi posited that India today is committed to women-led development in fields such as start-ups, the air force, and higher education.
The Prime Minister lauded the Ramakrishna Math for its tireless work in serving Tamil Nadu through various initiatives in different sectors, including education, libraries, leprosy awareness, rehabilitation, and rural development.
He also underscored the enduring relevance of Vivekananda’s philosophy and said, Swami Vivekananda discovered the purpose of his life at the famous rock of Kanyakumari. He reiterated that even our governance philosophies are inspired by Swami Vivekananda where Swamiji stressed that if you ensure equality, the society automatically progresses. In the same way all our government flagship programmes are framed to benefit everyone in the society.
Besides, Modi highlighted the achievements of the Mudra scheme, which marked its 8th anniversary on the day of the event. The Prime Minister informed the audience that the scheme has been instrumental in elevating small entrepreneurs in Tamil Nadu to positions of leadership. Nearly 38 crore collateral-free loans have been provided to small entrepreneurs and a huge number of women and marginal sections of the society have benefited from this Mudra Yojana.
The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to Ramakrishna Math for its profound influence on his own life and reaffirmed the importance of leveraging modern technologies to disseminate ancient ideas to future generations.
The Prime Minister’s remarks underscored the Indian government’s ongoing commitment to promoting women’s leadership and empowerment, as well as its broader efforts to foster societal progress and development through innovative policy initiatives.