Croatian Ambassador Highlights Vivekananda-Tesla Legacy for Global Development

The legacy of 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, said Peter Ljubicic, the Croatian Ambassador to India. Ljubicic emphasized the shared legacy of the two iconic figures while speaking at a conference in New Delhi on November 30.

Ljubicic 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 had 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, and the US and beyond.”

The conference, organized by the Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla International Foundation (SVNTIF) at India Habitat Centre, brought together scientists, philosophers, researchers, experts and spiritual leaders from India, Croatia, Serbia, the UK and Thailand.

Manash Deka, the president of Dibrugarh - based SVNTIF, said 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.

“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 - whose 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 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, emphasized 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.

Noted Serbian scholar and philosopher Professor Velimir Abramovic emphasized on the oneness of efforts in advancing scientific progress and spiritual well-being.

He said, “Modern science needs to look at how Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla had achieved that harmony between these two seemingly different aspects. Because science without the spiritual direction can lead to destruction.”

Iva Mia Kruslin, a Croatian author and leadership expert, emphasized the importance of integrating both mental and spiritual capacities in leadership to drive transformative change on a global scale. Speaking at the conference, Kruslin, the author of the “Handbook for Leaders”, highlighted how iconic leaders like Nikola Tesla, Swami Vivekananda, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi., achieved profound wordly & transformative impact because of their daily spiritual practice, which helped them maintain the strength and vision needed to inspire. She also underscored that leader”s such as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognizes the importance of tapping into spirituality to create meaningful, world changing transformations.

Other noted speakers and guests at the conference included Serbian author Mirjana Prljevic, H.E.Dr.Parvinder Singh & 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.