Didi Slams Modi for Calling Ramakrishna ‘Swami’, Warns PM Against Prefix

Kolkata: A major controversy broke out in poll-bound West Bengal on Thursday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi described spiritual icon Ramakrishna Paramhansa as “Swami” in his tribute to the avatar on his 191st birth anniversary. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her “shock” and accused the PM of exposing his “cultural insensitivity”. BJP however, defended Mr Modi for using the prefix.

In the morning, the PM posted on X-handle, “Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa ji ko unki janm-jayanti par aadarpoorn shraddhanjali. Unhone adhyatma aur sadhana ko jis prakar jeevanshakti ke roop mein sthapit kiya, vah har yug mein manavta ka kalyan karta rahega. Unke suvichar aur sandesh sadaiv prernapunj bane rahenge.”

Attacking Mr Modi immediately, Ms Banerjee stated in social media, “Shocked again! Yet again, our Prime Minister aggressively displays his cultural insensitivity to great figures of Bengal. Today is the janmatithi of Yugavatara (God's incarnation in our age) Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva. While trying to hail the great saint on this occasion, our PM added an unprecedented and improper prefix to the great saint's name, “Swami”!”

She added, “As is well known, Sri Ramakrishna was widely revered as Thakur (literally, God). While his ascetic disciples constituted the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission after their Master's demise, and those monks were then called “Swami” as per Indian traditions, the Master, the Acharya, himself continued to be referred to as Thakur. The prefix “Swami” was meant for his disciples in the Ramakrishna Order; but the holy trinity of the Order remained Thakur–Ma–Swamiji. Thakur is Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva, Ma is Ma Sarada, and Swamiji is Swami Vivekananda.”

The CM then added, “I urge the Prime Minister kindly not to discover new prefixes and suffixes for the great Renaissance figures of Bengal who shaped modern India.” Taking a swipe at her union minister Sukanta Majumdar said, “The PM used the prefix ‘Swami’ for Ramakrishna Paramhansa to show his respect for him as a grand figure earlier also. But the CM did not object to it then because there was no election around. This time she has opposed it since the election is near.”