Scholars divided at Vivekananda-linked university over Modi’s ‘meditation’

Scholars associated with the Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1897, are divided over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monk-like meditation in Kanyakumari, with some calling it a “cheesy” stunt and others backing him.

PM Modi began a 45-hour meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, where the monk meditated in 1893, on Thursday evening after wrapping up campaigning for the final phase of elections on Saturday.

“This is the place where Swamiji meditated for three consecutive days, with the upliftment of motherland India as the central theme of his meditation. For the first time, a monk, more than anyone else, lamented the decline of his country and its people and meditated for a way to lift them out of their diminished state. After a temple and meditation hall named after Swami Vivekananda was built on that rock, anyone can visit there and pay obeisance to Swami.J “Practice meditation. The prime minister could have done that,” says Susovan Sengupta, professor of history at RK Mission Residential College, Narendrapur.

“But taking media persons to film him meditating means something different to me. He did the same in Kedarnath in 2019. The current political leaders have no morals or conscience. They will do anything to gain and retain power. And in a country where a majority of the voters are only moderately educated, these cheap stunts pay off,” Prof Sengupta said.

Achintyam Chatterjee, a former professor of political science at the university and now visiting lecturer, said Modi’s meditation could be seen as a political ploy but such a ploy requires strength and by encouraging meditation the prime minister was adding a new dimension to politics.

“I think it is a great step. Even if one considers it a ploy, this kind of ploy is difficult and requires strength. Modi has added a new dimension to politics and shown that politics and meditation can go side by side,” said Chatterjee, who recently completed a meditation trip to two monasteries associated with the Ramakrishna Mission in Uttarakhand state.

“The Ramakrishna Mission has always advocated meditation because without meditation you cannot see your own mind. Only by improving yourself can you get what you deserve. And it is only through meditation that you can improve yourself. I think the Prime Minister’s meditation will attract a large number of people, especially the younger generation, to meditation. It will be good for the country,” said the former teacher, who now teaches civil service classes at the Ramakrishna Mission Cultural Institute, Kolkata.

A professor of English at the Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira in Belur, who did not want to be named, wondered why there was such an outcry against a “very important person” meditating at a place associated with Swami Vivekananda.

“Vivekananda does not ‘belong’ to any person, community or ideology. Same with meditation. Working for 27 years in the famous institutions run by the Ramakrishna Mission has shown me how deeply the spirit of secularism is rooted here, where boasting, self-promotion and discrimination are all replaced by dedication to work and making do with what is available to make the world a better place for all. If someone wants to meditate, that’s fine. If he prefers to work quietly for the betterment of society, that’s fine. Swami is a man who practices and puts into practice this teaching…J “I would agree,” said the English teacher.