Vice-President says minorities safe in India, promotes use of Indian languages in administration

Warangal: The Vice-President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, on 23 February, said that secularism was in the blood and veins of every Indian and that minorities were more secure in India than any other country.

Speaking at the platinum jubilee celebrations of Andhra Vidyabhi Vardhani (AVV) Educational Institutions in Warangal, he said respecting all religions is our culture and we should continue to follow it. He described ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ as the essence of Indian culture.

Appreciating India’s rich spiritual heritage, Mr Naidu said that "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" means the "jai" to 130 crore Indians. Objecting to some countries’ tendency to comment on India’s internal matters, the Vice-President asked them to refrain from advising India. Pointing out that India was the largest parliamentary democracy he said she was capable of managing her own affairs.

Stressing that peace was a prerequisite for development, Mr Naidu said that in a democracy, everyone has a right to dissent and protest but it should be done in a peaceful manner. He asked the youth to develop a positive attitude in life and be "constructive" in their approach.

He also urged the Union and state governments to mandatorily link employment with local languages to promote the use of regional languages. Mr Naidu emphasised the need to promote the use of Indian languages in the administration. Interacting with the students, he said, this will not only bring the administration closer to the people but also help in the preservation of our rich linguistic heritage.

Quoting Sardar Patel, Mr Naidu said that unless a child understands the language of instruction properly he will not be able to understand the subject being taught in that language. Stressing the need for value-based education, he said that education should focus on the overall development of the students by imparting morals, ethics, and age-old civilizational values of the country. “A teacher has a prominent role after parents in shaping the life of a student,” he said.

Emphasising the need to end every kind of social discrimination, the Vice-President called for a change in the society's mindset. He said that children should be taught to be respectful towards girls and women from an early age. Highlighting that Indian culture shows great respect for women, he said that it was evident from the fact that all rivers in the country are named after women. He exhorted the youth to develop 4Cs, character, capacity, conduct, and caliber and asked them to be hardworking and disciplined to achieve success in life. Mr Naidu also advised them to shun a sedentary lifestyle and stay physically fit.

On the occasion, the Vice-President also released the souvenir of the institute and lauded the contributions of philanthropist and founder of AVV institutions, Chanda Kanthaiah.

Expressing his concern over the fast-depleting water resources, Mr Naidu stressed the need for protecting lakes and traditional water bodies. “Earlier every village used to have different water bodies for different purposes, but we neglected these traditional water conservation methods,” he said. Mr Naidu also appreciated the irrigation work being done by the Telangana government in the state.

Telangana Home minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali and state panchayati raj minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao were present during the occasion.