Hindus quite often applaud their civilisational icons. We celebrate them by marking their birth anniversaries, building statues, and hosting processions in their name. But beyond that? When time comes to walk on the path they carved out, the enthusiasm disappears. It is limited to raising voices and sharing stories on social media, an act which does not cause you financially. The life of Swami Vivekananda is a fine example to portray how Hindus excel at praise but falter at participation. Swami Vivekananda, a man who carried Hindu philosophy beyond India’s shores, died at the young age of 39. Today he is worshipped, and quoted endlessly, but his life was marked by constant struggle, and lack of financial support for running the Ramkrishna Mission. In his letters, he wrote on the slave mindset of his countrymen, who pulled the leg of those who tried to rise above the crowd. Vivekananda was welcomed in India with applause and garlands after his global endeavours. But applause failed to turn into patronage. Ramkrishna Mission, an organisation started to revive Hindu social and spiritual life, struggled to find serious financial backing by the Hindus. Hindu civilization could not, it seems, fund its own revival. This is not an isolated case. We quote Vivekananda, but fail to follow his path. Scholars of Indic studies remain underfunded, temples fight legal battles on minimal community support and cultural institutions struggle to survive. Society does not just require emotional affirmation, but sustained commitment. Hindu Dharma demands people to perform their kartavya (duty). Symbolic support must convert into an essential responsibility. Dharma survives on resources, institutions and sustained efforts. The Hindu civilisation will survive and prosper when Hindus move beyond clapping and start contributing materially, financially and intellectually. Dharma calls you to do something tangible.
