Secularism safe in India, says Venkaiah Naidu

Bengaluru: Asserting that India is the most tolerant country in the world, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said secularism is safe in this country, not because of any government or party, but because it is in the blood and veins of every individual living here. He also stressed that the basic primary education must be in mother tongue.

“Ours is a great country, fortunately India is again on the move, world is now recognising and respecting India once again, nobody can ignore us. Though some people might write here and there small things, don’t worry about it. Some people are not able to digest India’s progress, they are suffering from indigestion, we cant help it,” Naidu said.

Addressing the platinum jubilee celebrations of Mount Carmel Institutions here, he accused the western media of carrying lots of negative stories about India, forgetting the great achievements being made by the country and its people in various fields.

Acknowledging that there are certain challenges before the nation like social inequality, poverty, gender disparity, which need to be addressed, the Vice President said, India doesn’t believe in colonial rule or doesn’t want to impose itself on other countries, and has never attacked any country in its long history. “....India is the most tolerant country in the world, one can take it for granted. People discuss secularism, secularism is safe, not because of this government or that government, this party or that party, secularism is in the blood and veins of every individual, this has to be understood by one and all.”

In India anybody can reach the top posts of the nation, he said. “Show me any other country where such equal opportunities are given for all sections. What are they, some people, trying to teach us? See what is happening internally in those countries, the so-called advanced rich nations, I don’t want to name any.”

There should be no place for violence, Naidu said adding that peace is the prerequisite for progress. Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, former Governor of Rajasthan Margaret Alva, who is also the alumni of the institution and Metropolitan Archbishop of Bengaluru Peter Machado were among those present times. The Vice President advised to take pride in one’s own language, religion, but not to denigrate others.

“We are seeing here and there some people have the weakness of denigrating others and deriving vicarious satisfaction, it is not good. Every religion is great in its own way. What we have to focus on is not religion, religion is personal way of worship, we should focus more on our culture and heritage, which are ways of life,” he said.

Noting that he feels happy talking about mother tongue, Naidu said the basic primary education must be in mother tongue, as it will be easy to understand, grasp and to communicate “Mother tongue (is like) mother. I’m happy that we are back to roots. The primary basic education must be in mother tongue, afterword you can go to brother tongue or other tongue, I have no problem...mother tongue is like your eyesight, other languages are like spectacles, if you have eyesight, spectacles will work,” he said.

“Learn as many languages as possible, but first learn the mother tongue. There is a wrong perception in the minds of the people that unless you have English education, you cannot go up, it is not true, learning English is an additional strength,” he said, as he pointed out that the President, Vice President and the PM of India studied in village school and did not get convent education.