Swami Vivekananda's message of universal brotherhood relevant even today: Mamata

Kolkata, Sep 11: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said Swami Vivekananda's message of universal brotherhood, in his historic address at the convention of Parliament of Religions in Chicago, is relevant even in contemporary times.

Swami Vivekananda had introduced India and Hinduism to the western world in his speech in 1893. Paying homage to the monk, Banerjee tweeted, "Today is the 126th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's epochal speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

His message of universal brotherhood is relevant even today. My respectful homage to the great saint." The Trinamool Congress government has included the speech in the school syllabus of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.

The state government on Wednesday is set to launch the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship (SVMCMS) to help meritorious students from economically backward sections.

Apart from this, the Mamata Banerjee-led government, along with Ramakrishna Mission, has also planned a series of programs to mark the day.