PM Modi's praise (in 2015) for Swami Chinmayananda's great contributions in joining 'elite' English speaking youngsters of India to the great culture and inheritance of Bharat

PUJYA GURUDEV SWAMI CHINMAYANANDA’S BIRTH CENTENARY - THE RELEASE OF COMMEMORATIVE COINS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXM_sok_R7I, 15 mins. 54 secs, published on 16th May 2015 by ChinmayaChannel.

This video has a very interesting speech (in Hindi, from around 4 mins. 9 secs) by PM Modi in 2015 on the birth centenary occasion of Swami Chinmayananda, noting the great contributions made by Swami Chinmayananda to spread Hindu ideals and faith among English speaking community ('elite' is the word PM Modi used), especially youngsters. PM Modi says that in his view, the biggest service done by Swami Chinamayanda was (in the situation where) due to period of "slavery" (Hindi:'ghulaami kaalkand'; rule by foreign powers/invaders), the elite class of the country were not only sad about our great culture and traditions but felt that associating with it would be a lowly thing to do (Hindi:'heen manta tha'). [Ravi: I think what PM Modi is saying is that such elite of India viewed Hindu ideals and faith as inferior.]

In that adverse period (Hindi: 'viprit kaal'), using English language as the medium, presenting himself as a teacher, achieving the heights of sacrifice and penance (Hindi: 'Tyaag aur tapasya ki unchaiyoon ko prapt karte hue'), for the rest of his life, especially for English speaking elite class, he (Swami Chinmayananda) did the Herculean task (Hindi: 'bhagirath kaam'), of joining them with the great culture and inheritance of Bharat (Hindi: 'Bharat ke mahaan sanskruti aur viraasat'). 

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinmayananda_Saraswati :

Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, commonly referred to as Swami Chinmayananda, (born Balakrishna Menon; 8 May 1916 – 3 August 1993) was a Hindu spiritual leader and a teacher who inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide nonprofit organisation, to spread the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and other ancient Hindu scriptures. From 1951 onward, he spearheaded a global Hindu spiritual and cultural renaissance that popularised the religion's esoteric scriptural texts, teaching them in English all across India and abroad.

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In my college days in Mumbai (late 1970s and early 80s), Chinmaya mission was well known as a centre for teaching Hindu spirituality and culture. I myself have had the blessing of having the darshan and hearing the words (sambhashan) of Swami Chinmayananda - I think I visited an event where he spoke, during my college days.

I think there is no doubt that Swami Chinmayananda made great contributions in the work of teaching Hindu spirituality & culture among youngsters in India, and it seems that he has done a lot of work abroad too.

PM Modi also referred to Swami Chinmayananda's contributions to Indian freedom struggle when he was part of lay life (not yet a monk), including how he hid from British authorities. The above wiki page says that Balan (lay name of Swami Chinmayanada) was incarcerated by the British in 1944 (2 years after they had issued a warrant for his arrest), fell ill due to unhygenic conditions in jail, and was tossed out of the jail on the streets (and left to die, one presumes). He was saved by an Indian Christian lady who took him home and called a doctor.

He later became a monk. That story is very interesting as given in above wiki page. An extract from it:

It was while working as a journalist that he travelled to Sivananda's ashram in Rishikesh for this purpose of writing an exposé of the sadhus. He later said, "I went not to gain knowledge, but to find out how the swamis were keeping up the bluff among the masses."[7] In the summer of 1947, Balan arrived in Rishikesh, by the banks of the Ganges and made the one-mile hike to the Divine Life Society, the ashram of Swami Sivananda. There, at the age of 31, he went from being a sceptic to an enthusiast, finally becoming a renunciate monk. He began reading more about Hindu scriptures and reviewing spiritual books. Sivananda recognised Balan's latent talents and entrusted him to organise a Gita Committee.[8] Having returned to the Divine Life Society ashram, on 25 February 1949, the holy day of Mahashivratri, Balan was initiated into sannyasa (Hindu vow of renunciation) by Sivananda, who gave him the name Swami Chinmayananda, or "bliss of pure Consciousness."[5]

With Sivananda's blessing, Chinmayananda sought out one of the greatest Vedantic masters of his time, Tapovan Maharaj of Uttarkashi, and devoted the next few years of his life to an intensive study of Vedanta under his tutelage.[5] As his disciple, from 1949, Chinmayananda led an extremely austere lifestyle and underwent a rigorous study of the scriptures.

[References:]

5. "Chinmayananda Commemoration Days", Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations, (J. Gordon Melton, ed.), ABC-CLIO, 2011ISBN 9781598842067

7. "Chinmayananda: 1916–1993". Hinduism Today. October 1993. Retrieved 25 January 2014.

8. "Swami Chinmayananda". The Divine Life Society. Retrieved 23 January 2014.

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I think I must read a biography/autobiography of Swami Chinmayananda if it has been published and is available. The wiki page is very interesting but I think I will really enjoy reading a proper book about his whole life story.

[I thank Wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]