Vivekanandas legacy of universalism

HED
Vivekanandas plan of action was not limited to the religious realm. He was equally sensitive to
social and economic issues. In other words, Hindus should strive towards a total transformation
and inclusive growth.
Spirituality alone was not the only concern of Vivekananda. He spent a major part of his life
travelling, which undoubtedly influenced his world view. He was particularly sensitive about
poverty and the inhuman caste practices.
Process of Indian reformation had three facets.
The first was a liberal modernising phase in which reformers like Ram Mohan Roy
attempted to change some of the traditional practices. The second was a rejection of all that
was alien to society, and an attempt at indigenous mode of modernisation. The third was to
build an alternative model of modernity which would embrace the traditional and the
modern. The path chosen by Vivekananda was the third.
First group was that of the reformers for whom he had undisguised contempt, dismissing them
as babu reformers. The conservatives and traditionalists formed the second group. The
members of this group were mired in superstitions and ritualism. Swamijis method of reform
was not merely advocacy of reform, but also through constructive social work.
Central idea in the life and teaching of Vivekananda was religious universalism. In the
eyes of those who believed in universalism, there was no difference between the followers of
different religions. All religions are universal equal and true. Vivekananda, however,
argued that in Hinduism, universalism found ideal articulation. And was hence a leader
in spiritual matters.
Equally important was his notion of social service for which he set up the Ramakrishna Mission.
The mission gave an entirely new ambience to reform.
Popular and academic perceptions of Vivekanandas role are highly influenced by his famous
speech at the World Congress of Religions and the religious discourses he delivered during the
extensive tours he undertook in India. In his highly applauded speech at the Congress, he tried
to highlight the universalism inherent in all religions and then to demonstrate that it was best
exemplified in Hinduism. Such a position was derived from his belief in Vedanta which, he
argued, transcended the limits of any particular religion or cultural tradition.
Truth, alone is my god; the entire world is my country, maintained Vivekananda. Thus he tried
to reconcile his understanding of universalism with the Hindu philosophical system. His perhaps
was the most creative understanding of universalism. Because he argued that all religions were
universal and that there was no superiority of one over the other. He said every religion is an
expression, a language to express the same truth, and we must speak to each other in his own
language.
(K.N. Panikkar is a former Professor of History, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)

Facebook users could swing the results in 160 Lok Sabha constituencies
Hindu
Thane parliamentary constituency has 1.8 million registered voters. Of them, 7,50,000 exercised
their franchise in 2009. Sanjeev Ganesh Naik of the NCP won the seat by a margin of 49,000
votes over his nearest rival. As he prepares to face the voters again, he will find that almost 10
times the number of voters who made a difference between his victory and defeat are now on
social media. In his constituency, 4,19,000 people use Facebook.
A study shows how social media can affect the results of next Lok Sabha elections. Conducted
by the IRIS Knowledge Foundation and the Internet and Mobile Association of India, research
claims that results in over 150 constituencies could be decided by Facebook users, making
them the newest vote-bank with the power to shape Indian politics.
There are 160 high-impact constituencies where the number of Facebook users exceeds the
margin of victory in the last election, or constitutes 10 per cent or more of the voting population.
In 67 other medium-impact constituencies, Facebook users comprise over 5 per cent of voters.