Vivekananda, Gandhi, and path to global harmony

Moments of crisis and transformation have often brought forth voices of profound wisdom that guide humanity toward unity, tolerance, and peace. India’s journey as a guiding light for the global community is anchored in the transformative messages delivered by Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi on two historic September 11ths — the former at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, and the latter launching the Satyagraha movement in South Africa in 1906. In contrasting eras marked by colonial oppression, racial injustice, and later, the global shock of 9/11’s terrorism, their wisdom and the syncretic traditions of India offer invaluable lessons of tolerance, nonviolence, and unity for the 21st century world.

- BY RAJDEEP PATHAK

The resonant words of Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi— “Help and not Fight, Assimilation and not Destruction, Harmony and Peace and not Dissension,” and “In a gentle way, you can shake the world” — remind us that moral courage and universal acceptance are vital antidotes to fanaticism, divisiveness, and violence. Their voices are not just historical echoes; they are living calls for introspection, inviting us to weave empathy, truth, and pluralism into the fabric of modern society. Through their timeless reflections, we discover a central theme — the enduring power of principles rooted in compassion and syncretic understanding to inspire a global moral uprising. Swami Vivekananda’s address at the Parliament of Religions, Chicago, beginning with the iconic “Sisters and Brothers of America”, resonated with a call for universal acceptance and tolerance. He declared, “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.” This idea did more than challenge Western preconceptions.