Speaking on how to lead the country towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling the Swami Vivekananda statue at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Thursday said, "We are a vibrant democracy. One thing that has harmed our democratic system a lot is giving priority to ideology over national interest. Our ideology should be seen supporting not opposing nation in matters of national interest. Good reforms were considered bad politics, now it is good politics because our intentions and commitment are pure. People have endorsed our reform measures with their votes. They trust that the betterment of the country is behind these decisions. We have prepared 'protection shield' before carrying out reforms."
India's youth is the 'brand ambassador' of 'brand India' today globally. Our youth is representative of our country's culture and traditions around the world, he added during the event. "I hope this statue teaches us intense love for our country. I hope it inspires our country to move ahead with a vision of youth-led development," he added while addressing the gathering via video conference.
"It is our responsibility to realise Swami Vivekananda's vision for India. When we were oppressed during colonialism, Swami Vivekananda went to Michigan University in the earlier part of the last century and had said that even though this century is yours, next century will belong to India. It is our responsibility to realise this statement and vision," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
Talking about India's new National Education Policy 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "Swami Vivekananda wanted that education in the country should be such that it provides self-confidence to individuals and makes them Aatmanirbhar in every way. New National Education Policy is on the same line and has inclusion at its core."
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, who was also present during the event, said this is a very special day and it will be remembered fondly. "One Narendra unveiling the other Narendra's statue is something we had been looking forward to. I hope our youth is inspired and follow on his footsteps," Pokhriyal added.
JNU VC Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, speaking at the event said, "JNU has been in the news for the past few months for various reasons, today we are again in the news for another good reason. We want our university to be in the spotlight for good reasons. The statue is a symbol of resilience, it reinforces the meaning of our actions, the statue reminds us to come out of our self-centeredness. It will inspire the coming generations of this university, become an example for other institutes and thus nurture respect and diversity."
