Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the Chicago speech on X, calling it a watershed moment and praising its emphasis on harmony and universal brotherhood.
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and other officials marked Universal Brotherhood Day with calls to revive Vivekananda’s ideals of unity in diversity.
• Vivekananda’s opening “Sisters and Brothers of America” was unusual for its time and was reportedly greeted with a prolonged standing ovation.
• In the address, he urged universal acceptance of all religions and highlighted India’s record of sheltering persecuted communities, including Israelites and Zoroastrians.
• Historians note the speech helped introduce Vedanta to U.S. audiences, leading to lectures at Harvard, the growth of Vedanta societies, and wider interest in meditation and yoga.