Remarks by Ambassador Sibi George on the occasion of ‘Remembering Swami Vivekananda’ event at Saas Fee on June 4, 2019
Good Afternoon everybody,
Hon’ble Swami Amarananda, Ladies and Gentlemen
I thank the Embassy, the Centre Védantique Genève and the leadership of this beautiful city of Saas Fee and friends of India in Switzerland for organising this event today.
One of the first things I did on my joining Switzerland as India’s Ambassador was to visit Saas Fee and pay homage to one of the greatest sons of India Swami Vivekananda who travelled to this beautiful city in the Alps in 1896. I am happy that today we are meeting here again under the banner of International Day of Yoga celebrations, which is a symbol of Indian spirituality.
As you are aware we have just completed the Festival of Democracy in India. It is the largest festival in the history of the world with the participation of 900 million eligible voters to elect over 500 members to the lower house of Indian Parliament. An opportunity for a billion people, 600 million below the age of 25 years, to select their choice. It has a bit noisy, but the noise was worth it. We had over 200 TV channels with talk shows and debates and competing for breaking news. The free press of India, now coupled with free social media, makes sure that a billion voices were heard, a billion ideas were aired. The people have spoken loud and clear. In fact, this democracy and its values bring India and Switzerland closer.
Switzerland has always welcomed India and its values and traditions and its heroes. To this land of Alps, Swami Vivekananda brought message of India’s spirituality in 1896. He travelled several hundreds of miles to reach here, a place he called the ‘Miniature Himalayas’.
It is to this land that Mahatma Gandhi came in 1931 when he spend a few days in Montreux in the Swiss Canton of Vaud.
This land also welcomed Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and later Maharshi Mahesh Yogi in Seelisberg.
Today we are strengthening this connection through our message of peace through Yoga. We are celebrating International Day of Yoga in twelve cities of Switzerland. I invite you all to join us.
I thank the leadership of Saas Fee for joining us today.
Thank you.
