Swami Vivekananda, A youth icon at 150 years

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It is surprising to know that Swami Vivekananda is still the most 'preferred' Youth Icon. Recently, he turned 150 years old.


 What is so special in a "sanyasi" who wore a saffron robe and spoke on philosophy all his life? Why he is still called the "founder" of new and young Indian thinking. The answer lies in his principles. He believed in empowerment, more in the lines of "tat tvam asi" or "aham bramhasmi". You are the creator and the master of your destiny. Your soul is divine and you should start searching for God in yourself. Every human being is a privileged soul. You should not consider yourself to be weak and feeble. He not only revived Hinduism but also "improved" it by a huge extent. As expected he disregarded the caste system, he disregarded monotheism and refuted idolatry as insignificant.

Swami Vivekananda was a preacher of education and mental fitness. He recognised the value of wholesome education and pleaded all young girls and boys to learn as much as possible. He also recognised the power that the youth hold in nation building. He knew that the future of the nation lies in the power of its youth. There are numerous quotes of Vivekananda which inspires the youth even today.

Coming to the reality, India today lacks a youth icon. Self proclaimed youth icons like Rahul Gandhi or Akhilesh Yadav are an insult to the nation. We lack a firm and decisive leader who the youth can follow their steps. Narendra Modi might be an epitome of development, but he has crossed the age and the ability to claim as a youth icon. This further strengthens the position of Swami Vivekananda, however ironical, that Swami never wanted this to happen.

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