PM Narendra Modi urges spiritual groups to unite society, help build developed India by 2047

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on spiritual and cultural organisations to take a more proactive role in national development, promote self-reliance and unite people against divisive forces, saying collective efforts were needed to address emerging societal challenges and help India become a developed nation by 2047.

Inaugurating the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Modi drew a parallel between India's development target and the centenary of the Chinmaya Mission, both of which fall in 2047. The three-day gathering, marking 75 years of the mission, has brought together more than 9,000 participants from India and abroad.

“Over the decades, times have changed, new challenges have emerged, and new societal ills have surfaced. Today, the responsibility to solve them rests upon all of us,” Modi said.

“We must unite society against divisive forces. We must inspire citizens towards self-reliance, and we must connect every individual to the vision of a developed India by 2047. For these objectives, we must become even more proactive,” he added.

The prime minister said he had spent the past 25 years serving the nation as head of government, first as chief minister of Gujarat and subsequently as prime minister, while carrying forward the vision of leaders such as Swami Chinmayananda.

Chinmaya Mission's contribution to India's cultural heritage

Founded by Swami Chinmayananda in 1951, the Chinmaya Mission was established to make the wisdom of Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita accessible to people. Modi described it as more than an institution, calling it a thought that had contributed to India's cultural and spiritual renaissance by taking the country's philosophical traditions to the wider public.

He credited the mission with nurturing hundreds of thousands of young people who have become cultural ambassadors of India and are helping pass Indian values on to future generations.

The prime minister also praised the mission's educational institutions and cultural activities for introducing younger generations to Indian traditions. More than 100 institutions run by the organisation, he said, combine modern education with Indian values.

Highlighting the importance of preparing young people for the future, Modi referred to the National Education Policy (NEP), which seeks to integrate Indian knowledge traditions with modern science and emerging technologies.

“To ensure that our education system meets the needs of a ‘New India’, we introduced the National Education Policy (NEP). This new policy accords high importance to Indian Knowledge Systems, instruction in mother tongues, modern science, and cutting-edge technology,” he said.

Modi recalls meeting Swami Chinmayananda

Modi recounted his association with Chinmayananda, describing his interaction with a holobot of the spiritual leader at the gathering as an emotional experience. The technology presents a realistic, three-dimensional holographic digital representation of a person.

“The feeling in my heart as I arrived here today has been brought to life even more through modern technology. Having the privilege of seeing revered Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda Ji in this form and interacting with his holobot made me feel as if I had been transported back 33 years in time,” he said.

The prime minister recalled meeting Chinmayananda in Chicago in February-March 1993, when he invited the spiritual leader to attend the centenary celebrations of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Chinmayananda accepted the invitation and travelled to the United States to encourage people to participate in the event.

However, the spiritual leader died in San Diego on August 3, 1993, weeks before the Parliament of the World's Religions began in Chicago on September 11 that year.

“When the Parliament was held in September, we all deeply missed Gurudev,” Modi said.

Youth empowerment and national development

The prime minister said empowering young people and building a strong India were central to Chinmayananda's vision. He commended young people associated with the mission who travelled nearly 40,000 km over approximately 300 days, reaching more than 100,000 people.

“I congratulate the entire team for this phenomenal effort,” he said.

Modi also highlighted Chinmayananda's contribution to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, recalling that the spiritual leader made the project's first financial contribution.

Referring to the development of India's cultural and religious heritage, the prime minister cited projects and sites including Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and centres at Kedarnath and Badrinath.

His address placed the mission's work in the broader context of India's development ambitions, with Modi urging spiritual and cultural organisations to help strengthen social unity, encourage self-reliance and connect citizens with the vision of a developed India by 2047.