President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said that Sister Nivedita had made India her life's mission and was a pioneer in girls' education and in providing health services to the poor, while paying tributes on the 150th birth anniversary of the social worker.
"Sister Nivedita's original name was Margaret Noble. True to her name, she served India with nobility," Kovind said.
"She was a pioneer in girls' education in India and in providing health services to the poor. She was a westerner who embraced India wholeheartedly, and lived and died with the well-being of India and Indians on her mind and in her heart."
While addressing people at Ramakrishna Mission here, Kovind said that Sister Nivedita was part of this tradition, and came to India and to Swami Vivekananda for enlightenment.
"She did not come and learn a little and leave. She learnt a lot - and stayed on. She made India her life's mission. And though born in Ireland, she became an Indian nation builder," Kovind said.
Nivedita was born in Ireland on October 28, 1867 and died on October 13, 1911.
Both Ireland and India were under colonial rule at that time when Nivedita visited India.
"There were many interactions between Irish and Indian political leaders in that period - but the bond that connected Swamiji and Sister Nivedita was unique. They wrote letters to each other that showed their commitment to certain values, as well as to a dignified friendship between a guru and a disciple," Kovind said.
He added that Swami Vivekananda was one of those who shaped our modern national consciousness and rediscovered Indian values for the world. "He was a true cultural ambassador, as became so apparent during his visit to Chicago in 1893 for the Parliament of Religions," Kovind said.
--IANS
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