Feroz Ansari recalls Swami Vivekananda as an eternal source of inspiration for youth during district-level programme
Published on: January 12, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The district-level National Youth Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary under the directions of the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Chhattisgarh. The event was organised by the District Sports Department, Rajnandgaon, at Gandhi Sabha Grih, Municipal School Ground.
Feroz Ansari, Co-Secretary of Hockey India and President of Chhattisgarh Hockey, graced the programme as the chief guest, while D Kondiya, General Secretary of Chhattisgarh Wushu Association, and A Ekka, Assistant Director, Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, were present as special guests.
On the occasion, various competitions including speech, poetry recitation and rangoli were organised, witnessing active participation from students of schools and colleges across the district. Addressing the gathering, Feroz Ansari said that Swami Vivekananda was not merely a saint but a symbol of the awakening of India’s soul. He reminded the audience that Vivekananda introduced India to the world as a land of spirituality and humanity.
Recalling the historic 1893 Chicago Parliament of Religions, Ansari said Vivekananda’s opening words, “Sisters and Brothers of America,” still resonate in history and continue to inspire generations. He emphasized that Vivekananda’s message for the youth — “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached” — remains highly relevant even today.
Ansari highlighted that Swami Vivekananda believed the future of a nation rests in the hands of its youth. He urged young people to be confident, disciplined, character-driven and committed to nation-building. He also underlined Vivekananda’s teaching that true religion lies in service to humanity, quoting his famous saying, “Service to the poor is service to God.”
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He added that in an era where youth often face confusion and stress, Vivekananda’s ideals provide a clear direction for personal success and national progress. He described Swami Vivekananda as a timeless guide, a great spiritual leader, philosopher and social reformer who took Vedanta and Yoga to the global stage and established the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
A total of 45 participants from schools, colleges and various institutions took part in the programme. Winners of the speech, poetry and rangoli competitions were awarded cash prizes and mementos by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare.
Prominent attendees included Pankaj Solanki, Sudesh Yadav, Punaram Yadav, Ritesh Devangan as judges, along with Prerna Rane Sahu, Gaffar Khan, Krishna Yadav, Umesh Sahu, Revati Bai, Rajaram Sahu, Puneshwar Nishad, Palak Solanki, Swati Nirmalkar, Saurabh Devangan, Pratima Chandravanshi and others.
