Abhishek visits Swami Vivekananda's ancestral house on his birth anniv to pay respects

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee visited Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral house on Shimla Street in north Kolkata on Sunday on the occasion of his birth anniversary and paid his respect to Swamiji.

Speaking to the media, he said the teachings of Swami Vivekananda were relevant even today and everyone should follow them. Banerjee also highlighted Vivekananda’s message of communal harmony. “Swamiji spoke about harmony among all religions and became a guiding light for India during his time, we must remember those teachings today. Everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and gender, should follow them,” Banerjee said. The birth anniversary of Swamiji is celebrated every year as the National Youth Day.

He also stated that Swamiji’s principles, ideals, thoughts, reflections, methods of work and teachings hold immense significance even in today’s times and are relevant in every step of life. “I would not call this Swamiji’s birth anniversary because birth is for those who eventually face death.

I call this his ‘Abhirbhav Diwas’ as Swamiji is still with us. His thoughts and ideas are eternal and ever-present,” he added.

Reminding that Bengal always unheld the message of harmony, Banerjee said: “Swamiji once said ‘jeev seva hi Shiv seva’. We will continue to follow Swamiji’s path. A personality like him was never found before and we will never be found again. May we move forward in the days to come by keeping Swamiji’s teachings at the forefront and dedicate ourselves to the task of building a better society.”

Banerjee on social media makes a pledge to uphold Swamiji’s vision. In a post on X, he said: “Swamiji once said, Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached. Today, I honour Swami Vivekananda, whose timeless message of courage, compassion, unity and brotherhood resonates deeply. On his birth anniversary, I pledge to uphold his vision of a nation built on unity, harmony and strength. May his ideals inspire every young mind to rise above challenges and strive for greatness.”