Swami Vivekananda, Tesla example for whole world: Croatian envoy in India

The legacy of the bond between Swami Vivekananda and Croatia-born scientist Nikola Tesla presents avenues for harmonious development not only for India and Croatia but the entire world, Peter Ljubicic, the Croatian ambassador to India, said.

"During my stay in India, I have seen what kind of profound influence Swami Vivekananda has on the people and the way of life here. His thoughts and philosophy also influenced the work of Nikola Tesla, the great Serbian-American scientist who was born in Croatia. So, the influence of both Swami Vivekananda and Tesla can be seen in India, Croatia, Serbia, the US and beyond," said Ljubicic on Saturday, attending a conference on the legacy of Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla here in the national capital.

The conference, organised by the Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla International Foundation (SVNTIF) at India Habitat Centre on Saturday, brought together scientists, philosophers, researchers, experts and spiritual leaders from India, Croatia, among others.

Manash Deka, the president of the Foundation and the organiser noted that the purpose of the conference was to spread awareness about the legacies of Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla and how their unique collaboration created unique values for humanity.

Serbian-American inventor and engineer Tesla had discovered and patented the rotating magnetic field, the basis of most alternating-current machinery. Nikola Tesla was born in 1856 and died in 1943.

"Swami Vivekananda is a revered figure in India and abroad. However, some aspects of his life and thoughts are yet to be discussed in detail. For example, his massive influence on Nikola Tesla - who's pioneering work had laid the foundation for electricity transmission, radio, radar and even directed energy weapons - is an area that still requires more public discussion."

"We aimed to bring scholars from all over the world to this conference to discuss these hidden aspects," said Deka.

Addressing the conference, Lazar Y. Vukadinovic, the deputy head of the Serbian embassy in Delhi, said the unique collaboration between the revered Indian spiritual leader and the Serbian-American scientist had presented a template for the harmonious development of science and spirituality.

"These two great individuals had propagated a unique path of development balanced by spirituality. India, Croatia, Serbia, America - all have things to learn from their approach," said Vukadinovic.

Addressing the conference, Swami Yajnadharananda, Secretary of Ram Krishna Mission, emphasised that the conflict of science and spirituality is often misplaced and misconstrued.

"We are often told about the conflict between science and spirituality. But at one point, we find a lot of common grounds between the two. They both look for the truth. If we direct our focus towards such common grounds, the society will benefit," he said.

Other noted speakers and guests at the conference included Serbian author Mirjana Prljevic, Parvinder Singh and Serbian scientist Goran Marjanovic, British creative artist Susan Griffith M. Jones and MM Pandey of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

During the conference, the foundation presented lifetime achievement awards to four individuals for their contributions in promoting the legacies of Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla. They included Professor Velimir Abramovic from Serbia; Dr Sushil Kumar Jain; Nada Laji from Arunachal Pradesh and Pundit Devendra Dubey also from Arunachal Pradesh.