Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that as many people as possible should be introduced to the Vedas. Some people remain busy in trying to sully the image of India and it is the duty of every Indian to thwart such attempts, he said. The Vice President was speaking at the inauguration session of Ved Vigyan Evam Sanskriti Mahakumbh at Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar on Saturday. This event is being organised by the university on the Balidan Diwas of Swami Shraddhanand in the 200th birth anniversary year of Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
Stating that Gurukul Kangri has been a prominent centre for the preservation and creation of the nation’s cultural heritage, he said that some western universities are trying to taint the image of India’s culture and its developmental journey. “There are a few people in our great nation who are unable to digest India’s progress. You should help them improve their digestion. They are our people but are misguided. An inclusive education system in the mother tongue is not acceptable to such people. That day is not far when all education will be available in the mother tongue,” Dhankhar said.
Stressing on the need for as many people as possible to be made aware of the Vedas, he said that this is important for nation building and stability in the world. Stating that the new education policy is in line with the nation’s cultural values, the Vice President said that the citizens should take pride in their culture and heritage. “Bharatiyata is our identity and nationalism is our religion. However, it is a matter of concern that a few people have a sense of denigration towards their culture, glorious history and present progress, and remain busy in trying to dent the great image of the nation. It is the responsibility of every Indian to thwart such attempts. The powers opposed to our culture, nationalism and our existence should be given a befitting response,” he said.
Dhankar further said that attempts should be made to get rid of the slave mentality as some people are still enslaved to colonialism. He cited the the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill passed in the parliament recently and stated that these are historic. He said that citizens were suffering under the colonial era laws focused on punishment instead of justice.
The Vice President further said that India is progressing at a swift pace and has become the fifth largest economy in the world. India is on the way to becoming the world’s third largest economy. It has surpassed the United Kingdom and is going to surpass Germany and Japan, he added. The Vice President’s wife Sudesh Dhankhar, Uttarakhand governor lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, university vice chancellor Satya Pal Singh and others were also present on the occasion.
