No Point Saying Vande Mataram if You Spill Garbage: PM Modi

“We need to ask ourselves if we really deserve to say “Vande Mataram”, Modi said in the address.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of students on the theme of ‘Young India, New India’.

(Photo Courtesy: PMO/Screenshot)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of students on the theme of ‘Young India, New India’ to mark the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s famous speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religion in 1893 at Chicago.

He spoke of the message of peace delivered by the Hindu sage, urging the Indian youth to learn from it so that incidents like the deadly 9/11 can be avoided.

Today is 9/11... this day became widely spoken about after 2001 but there was another 9/11 of 1893 which we remember… The 9/11 of 1893 was about love, harmony and brotherhood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

He also thanked the cleaners “who are working tirelessly to keep India clean”, adding that those who spill garbage at roadsides don’t have the right to utter “vande mataram”.

Those who chant Vande Mataram go on to throw garbage on roads. We need to ask ourselves if we really deserve to say “Vande Mataram”… Sanitation workers have the right to say “Vande Mataram”.

(#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to [e-mail] or WhatsApp @ [phone].)