Aurobindo carried forward legacy of Vivekananda: Guest Speakers

Guest speakers Prof Madhulika and Dr Mahesh Kaul receiving mementoes from Director Sports Gazanfar Ali at Jammu University on Monday.
Guest speakers Prof Madhulika and Dr Mahesh Kaul receiving mementoes from Director Sports Gazanfar Ali at Jammu University on Monday.

Inter-District Youth Festival

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 3: Guest speakers Dr Mahesh Kaul, Post Doctoral Fellow with the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, Ministry of Education, New Delhi and Madhulika Singh, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of History, JU cast spell on the audience, especially the youth during their impressive lectures on Day-3 of the ongoing Inter-District UT level Youth Festival, being organized by the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports (YS&S) at Zorawar Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu, here.
In their guest lectures, both the dignitaries asserted that Aurobindo Ghosh, Indian Philosopher, Yoga Guru and poet had carried forward the legacy of another Indian monk and Philosopher, Swami Vivekananda and had succeeded in completing almost all his unfinished missions.
While throwing light on the history and mission of Aurobindo, Prof Madhulika said that Aurobindo studied for the Indian Civil Service at King’s College, Cambridge, England and after returning to India he took up various civil service works under the Maharaja of the Princely State Baroda and became increasingly involved in nationalist politics in the Indian National Congress and the nascent revolutionary movement in Bengal with the Anushilan Samiti.
“He joined the Indian movement for Independence from British Colonial rule, until 1910 was one of its influential leaders and then became a spiritual reformer, introducing his visions on human progress and spiritual evolution,” added Madhulika.
Dr Mahesh said that Aurobindo was arrested in the aftermath of a number of bombings linked to his organisation in a public trial where he faced charges of treason for Alipore Conspiracy, adding, however, he could only be convicted and imprisoned for writing articles against British Colonial rule in India.
“During his stay in the jail, he had mystical and spiritual experiences, after which he moved to Pondicherry, leaving politics for spiritual work,” Dr Mahesh added.
Meanwhile, young artists drawn from various districts of twin divisions of J&K displayed extraordinary cultural and artistic skills today on Day-3 of the six-day long event to vie for the top honours and get the nod of the adjudicators for their selection in the National Youth Festival, being held at Puducherry from January 12 to 16.
The Director also honoured both the guest speakers with mementoes as a token of gratitude from the organizers.
Prominent persons including Bashir Ahmed, Joint Director (K), Jatinder Mishra, Deputy Director Jammu and DYSSOs from various districts were present during the event.