<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that from Vedas to Swami Vivekananda, India has a rich cultural history and that the sage is the soul of the India.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">"From the Vedas to Vivekananda, India's culture is rich," Modi said after he unveiled Swami Vivekananda's statue at the Ramakrishna Mission in Petaling Jaya near here on the second day of his visit to Malaysia.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">Prime Minister today unveiled a 12-ft bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda in Malaysia, saying the sage is neither the name of a man nor identity of a system but personifies 1,000-year-old Indian culture.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">Addressing a gathering at the unveiling of Swami Vivekananda's statue here at the Ram Krishna Mission, Modi said it was Swami Vivekananda who first gave the concept of 'One Asia' that ASEAN and the East Asia Summits are talking about.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">He said in tackling the two biggest problems facing the world -- climate change and terrorism -- truth is essential.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">Modi said when conflicts end terrorism will end.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">The Prime Minister unveiled the bronze statue of Vivekananda amid cheers from the more than 2,000 Indians, most of them ethnic Indian-Malaysians.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">The statue, a gift from a Belur Math devotee in India, was installed at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in the suburb of Petaling Jaya near here.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">Modi, who was welcomed by Swami Supriyananda who heads the mission here, also released a book on yoga and wellness by yoga teacher Ajay Sahoo.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%">The statue was made by Anil Kumar Ghosh from Kolkatta, The Ramakrishna Mission was set up here in 2001.<o:p></o:p>
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">"Swami was given by God to India, I will give his statue to Malaysia," Swami Supriyananda said.
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">Speaking in Hindi to the mostly Tamil audience, Modi said efforts should be made to "install Swami in our hearts and soul." His speech was translated into English.
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">"Swami Vivekananda is not the name of a person. It is about the aatma (soul) of India," he said.
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">Vivekanand is neither the name of a man nor identity of a system but personifies 1,000-year-old India's culture, he said.
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">Noting that from the Vedas to Vivekananda, India's culture is rich, he said India is moving from Upanishads to upgraha (satellites).
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">Modi also narrated interesting events from Swami Vivekananda's life. "When youngsters asked him (Swami Vivekananda) what should we do to find God, Swami Vivekananda said go play football," he said.
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">He quoted Vivekananda as saying "Jan Seva is Prabhu Seva" (public service is service of God).
<span data-style="mso-bidi-font-size:9.5pt;line-height:115%"> <span data-style="line-height: 115%; background-color: white;">Modi said it was the pursuit of truth that got Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramhans together as neither Paramhans was looking for a disciple nor Vivekananda looking for any guru.