Education dept to distribute booklets on Vivekananda's Chicago address

Kolkata: The state Education department has decided to distribute booklets containing Swami Vivekananda's address at the Parliament of World's Religion in Chicago among students.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Sampriti Saptaha that the state government has organised to celebrate the 125 years of Swami Vivekananda's address in the Parliament of World's Religion in Chicago, state Education minister Partha Chatterjee said: "Booklets containing the speech of Swami Vivekananda will be distributed among schoolgoers free of cost. The move has been taken as a character-building programme."

At the same time, Chatterjee said details related to the life, works and messages of social reformers will also be included in the textbooks.

The expert committee will be discussing the same and will take the decision in this connection. The committee will finalise the books where such contents would be introduced. They will also decide on the class in which these books would be launched.

"After the committee finalises all the aspects in this connection, it will be placed before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he said.

He also took a dig at the CPI(M) and BJP and said that there is no single person who takes such decisions and "instead there is an expert committee that regularly works in this field and will take the decision".

General Secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Swami Suvirananda and Assistant General Secretary Swami Balabhadrananda were also present in the programme at Rabindra Sadan in which students were awarded for their performances in essay writing, poster drawing, debate and quiz contests.

Indranil Sen, Minister of State for Information and Cultural Affairs department, was also present in the programme.

Chatterjee further said that the Chief Minister had taken the initiative and organised the week-long programme.

He maintained: "In the past four decades, no steps were taken to circulate messages of the social reformers among the masses. Now, the Chief Minister has taken up this initiative."

Swami Suvirananda said: "Harmony and brotherhood between all religions was the primary tenet of Swami Vivekananda's life and teachings."

He also urged all to follow Swami Vivekananda in their lives and thanked the Chief Minister for her initiatives to organise the programme.