By Our Correspondent
AHEMDABAD/NEW DELHI: The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu asked the youth of the country to draw inspiration from the extraordinary life, work and principles of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and asked them to serve the nation with the same determination and selflessness.
Addressing the 62nd Convocation Ceremony of the Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, he said the University’s age old tradition to hold convocation on 15 December (Sardar Patel’s death anniversary) every year as a mark of respect to the great leader. The Vice President said that Sardar Patel serves as a source of constant inspiration to millions around the country even to this day.He said that the nation would be ever grateful to his vision, stealthy resolve, and commitment to the Unity and Integrity of India.
Youth as the leaders of the New and resurgent India, the Vice President urged them to take lead in eradicating social evils of caste and gender-based discrimination, communalism, and corruption that hamper nation’s all-round progress. He also asked the youth to take forward India’s great legacy of innovation and explore affordable, pragmatic and scalable solutions.
“Your task is to shape a ‘New India’, an India where progress is predicated on peace and stability, on innovation and excellence,” he said.
He said that New India must be free from such narrow walls that seek to divide people and stressed the need for everybody to remain committed to the unity, integrity, and progress of the nation.Describing India as a cradle of civilization, VP said and that the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity one finds in India could not be found anywhere else in the world. He further added that it was the collective endeavor of all to protect India’s rich culture, diversity and the core values of its ancient civilization.
The Vice President also called for developing the sense of nationalism among students so that they are committed to nation’s unity and integrity.Highlighting the importance of inculcating discipline and sense of duty among the younger generation, he said that a university should not be used for political purposes by anyone.
On the question of who owns Sardar patel’s legacy Shri Naidu said that Sardar Patel belongs to whole country and anyone who follows his life and vision inherits the legacy of Sardar Patel.Opining that inclusion must be a touchstone of our development plans, Shri Naidu said that prosperity would be meaningful only if it reached the underprivileged, the downtrodden and the marginalized sections of society.
Stating that any development agenda proposed must always pass the test of sustainability, Shri Naidu observed that the environment must not become a casualty to development.Pronouncing the gravity of the situation Shri Naidu said that one must either learn to factor in environmental consequences into each one of our development plans or suffer catastrophic consequences and nature’s fury.
Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Education Minister of Gujarat, Vibhabari Ben, Minister of State for Education, Govt. of Gujarat, Prof. Satish Kulkarni, Vice Chancellor of Sardar Patel University were among the dignitaries who graced the occasion.
