Vimarsh: Talk on Sister Nivedita’s Thought on Nationalism, Nationhood, Education and its Relevance in Contemporary Times, by Pravrajika Divyanandaprana, at the Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi, 24 January, 2018

Opening Remarks by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF

In today’s Vimarsh series of lectures, we have with us प्रवराजिका दिव्यानंदप्राणा जी to speak to us on Sister Nivedita’s thoughts on nationalism, nationhood, education and their relevance to contemporary times.

India is so diverse and plural that the debates on Indian nationalism, the idea of India, and the concept of Indian nationhood have exercised thinkers, politicians and ordinary persons over the ages. The debates were particularly sharp and incisive during the 19th and early 20th Century when India was under foreign rule. Many Britishers and British historians have held the view that it was under the British rule that the idea of India as a nation began to emerge. The view has been strongly challenged by Indian nationalists who have held that there is a basic cultural and geographically unity underlying India which has persisted throughout the history of the nation. Many empires were built over the millennia on the basis of this underlying cultural and geographical unity.

Sister Nivedita was one of those who had very strong views on Indian nationalism. Though a foreigner when she came to India, she devoted her life to understanding India and propagating through her writing and action the greatness of India. Her ideas of nationalism were also echoed by in the works of Aurobindo Ghosh, Ananda Coomaraswamy and other nationalists.

Today India is on the cusp of rise. It is destined to take its place in the community of nations. India’s culture, its vast expanse and footprint outside its boundary provides the basis for India’s strategic partnership with many countries and India’s approaches to the regions like the Southeast Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and so on. There is a great deal of interest in the world about India’s past, present and future.

It is in this context that the debates about Indian nationalism, and about India’s unity in diversity assume great salience. Understanding the ideas of Sister Nivedita on nationalism is highly relevant.

प्रवराजिका दिव्यानंदप्राणा जी is a monastic member of Ramkrishna Sarada Mission, New Delhi. She is presently the Principal, Nivedita Vidyamandir, and also the editor of Samvit, the bi-annual journal of Sarada Math. She is an acclaimed speaker.

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