Independence Celebration at SXUK

The 72nd Independence of India was celebrated at the St. Xavier's University, Kolkata on 15th of August. The auspicious occasion was inaugurated by The Hon'ble Vice-Chancellor who hoisted the National Flag, accompanied by the National Anthem. Swami Agnivesh, a former Professor of St. Xavier's College and a spiritual leader and social activist was the Chief-Guest.
Swamiji spoke about the lessons he learnt from the Jesuit Priests during his days at SXC and about his universal mission for the poor and the bonded labourers. A large number of faculty, staff, students, security and house-keeping officers participated in the ceremony.
Shyam Rao taught at St. Xavier's College from 1963 to 1966. He was inquisitive about the life and work of the Belgian Jesuits who were serving at the College. One day he sneaked into the Jesuit residence and peeped through the window of a Jesuit's room. To his great amazement, he found in the room only a table, two chairs, a bed and a wooden almirah with some books. The austerity overwhelmed him.
While coming out of the Jesuit residence, Shyam Rao met a Jesuit on the corridor and asked him what motivated him to come to India, leaving a life of home and comfort in Belgium. The Jesuit answered him, " I am here with a mission to serve the people of India and impart quality education to Indian students".
The Jesuit's response had a deep-seated impact on Professor Shyam Rao and made him ponder; "What is my mission for India?" Subsequently Rao left his teaching career and travelled to Haryana where he joined the Arya Samaj and took the sanyas vows and became Swami Agnivesh.
Agnivesh became president (2004-2014) of the World Council of Arya Samaj, which is the highest international body of the Arya Samaj movement originally established by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875, and served as the chairperson of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery from 1994 to 2004.
He is best known for his dedicated service against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, which he founded in 1981. Agnivesh is a close friend of Jesuits.