By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Rajya Sabha member Dr Karan Singh while giving a keynote lecture on Friday evening to the visiting students delegates from 11 Southeast Asian countries and India at the ongoing five day International Youth Camp being organised by city based Asian Confluence and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Shillong expressed his confidence that the intellectual vacuum is rightly being addressed by SAIIC and one day it will become significant in the whole of SE Asia.
He said that during the days of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo great renaissance and revival took place in the country in the field of social reforms as great literatures were written during their time by Bamkin Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindrananth Tagore and others besides scientist like Satyen Bose gave us the Boson theory as half of science depends on that.
“There was at the same time a spiritual renaissance and one of the great figures was Sri Ramakrishna who got all those people who have lost sight in life into his fold,” he said adding that the master’s message of divinity, humanity was ably preached to the entire world by his disciple Swami Vivekananda.
While observing that Vivekananda was not only a spiritual leader but he expounded the value of humanity. “All the phenomenon, the entire universe around us are illuminated by divine power, one power that can define the manifestation. He spread the message of unity through Vedanta, Vasudev Kutumbakam. A beautiful concept as thousands of years ago our monks have it and today with technology the possibility of a global family emerging is going to be a possibility and that was the message that Vivekananda was giving,” he said.
“The spread of Indian culture and tradition is not like western countries where they have forced it though colonialism. Ours have spread through gurus, seers, monks and others,” he said adding that these places and their temples reflected the message of peace, love and harmony.
While asserting that we need to rediscover these spiritual links he said that the Indian government has opened centres in SAARC countries, Japan and elsewhere to emphasize the cultural links so that ultimately we move to a stronger Asia.
He also gave the visiting youth fourfold tip on Sadhana.
The evening started with Vande Mataram by Paromita Purkayastha whereas Prof Misbah Kamal, Professor, Dacca University also spoke besides Dr BB Dutta gave a glimpse into the life of Dr Singh.