Born as Narendranath Dutta on January 12, 1863, Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, was as a mystic, thinker, philosopher, and is one of the most popular youth icons of Bharat. The charismatic personality of Swami Vivekananda and his enlightening words of wisdom still hold the power to inspire the young population of Bharat. Swami Vivekananda reposed great faith in the youth of this country and believed that they can move mountains for national regeneration and development. In one of his speeches at Calcutta (now Kolkata), he made the following appeal to the Indian youth, “If I die tomorrow, the work will not die. I sincerely believe that there will be thousands coming up from the ranks to take up the work and carry it further and further, beyond all my most hopeful imagination every painted . . . reminding you once more, ‘Arise, awake and stop not till the desired end is reached.”

Swami Vivekananda believed that India could progress only when the youth of this country were willing to work day and night with the mission to create an egalitarian society. He wanted his countrymen to uphold the spirit of the Indian culture and traditions. In the late nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, when Indian society was going through a phase of transition under the colonial rule, Swami Vivekananda cautioned the educated Indians to not get swayed by the western culture and education. He was convinced that India would have to embrace the scientific ideas of progress, but definitely not at the expense of its tradition and culture.

Making a remarkable observation about the Indian culture, Vivekananda, in his speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago, U.S.A. on September 11, 1893 proclaimed, “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth.” In retrospect, his poignant speech and many others ideas and observations that he propounded throughout his life can act as guiding forces for the youth of the 21st century Bharat.
In the present world, where international relations are based on diplomacy, we must focus on Vivekananda’s idea of “tolerance and universal acceptance” to establish and develop amicable relations with different nations of the world. In order to make Bharat a Vishwa Guru, our countrymen will have to take pride in their culture, which not only survived the onslaught of foreign invasions but also helped other cultures and religions by providing them shelter on the land of the great king Bharata (भारतवर्ष). In his opinion, the youth should be fearless and make their motherland proud. He strongly advocated for the education of girls and women empowerment. He travelled all over Bharat, mostly on foot, to unite the people of India. Belur Math at West Bengal and Vivekananda’s Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari are testimonials of his boundless love for his country.

Swami jee believed every citizen should understand the concept of ‘Oneness’ in terms of Social, political or spiritual base. It is not only for Bharat but for every country in the world. Enrouted with Swami jee’s guidance, Pancham Dham is working on the same path among Indian diaspora and through this conference we could be able to update the global sanatanees about swami jee’s thoughts by various intellectual minds.

This conclave will provide an effective platform to share ideas on “Swami Vivekananda as a Youth Icon’ and discuss his messages for the youth of this country & abroad. Each participant will discuss an aspect of Vivekananda’s life and thought within seven minutes.

Objective of the Conclave:

1. To deliberate upon the teachings and philosophies of Swami Vivekananda for national regeneration and development.

2. To develop an academic discourse for the fulfilment of the dream of Bharat as a Viswa Guru.

3. To promote collaboration among scholars and academicians, of Vivekananda’s ideas.

4. To encourage research and scholarship among the youth on Swami Vivekanada.

Knowledge Partners:

– New Delhi National Book Trust India
– Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi
– Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi
– Gautam Buddha University (GBU), Noida
– Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi
– Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
– Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi
– Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), New Delhi
– National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT),
– University Grant Commission (UGC)
– MBD Publication, New Delhi