On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Swami Vivekananda, recalling the spiritual leader’s landmark speech in Chicago on September 11, 1893.
PM Modi said the message delivered more than a century ago continues to resonate globally.
Taking to X, the Prime Minister described Vivekananda’s address as a reflection of India’s civilisational values. He further shared the text of the speech published by Belur Math.
11th September 1893, Chicago.
Swami Vivekananda’s captivating address offered a glimpse of the civilisational ethos of India.
His inspiring words still reverberate across the world. https://t.co/1iz7OgT5Ab
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2026
Vivekananda delivered his ‘Response to Welcome’ at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He began by addressing the audience as ‘Sisters and Brothers of America’ and spoke of India’s traditions of tolerance and acceptance.
In the speech, Vivekananda said he was proud to belong to a religion that not only respected all faiths but accepted them as true. He further recalled how India had offered refuge to persecuted communities, including Jews and Zoroastrians.
Vivekananda used the example of rivers flowing from different sources into the same sea to explain how varied spiritual paths could lead to the same goal. He further referred to the Bhagavad Gita’s message that people reach the divine through different forms and approaches.
Vivekananda condemned sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism, blaming them for violence, destruction and suffering across societies. He ended his address with the hope that the gathering would help bring an end to religious hatred, persecution and intolerance.
PM Modi’s tribute highlights the continued relevance of Vivekananda’s message of interfaith understanding and peaceful coexistence.
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