Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday blamed colonial and foreign rule in India for the lack of respect towards women which was leading to crimes against them.
Without mentioning any recent rape incident in the county, Naidu said that the Indian tradition had always given a lot of respect to women.
Addressing the 31st Convocation of the Kurukshetra University, in the historical town of Kurukshetra, he said that as per the Indian tradition, the country is called 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India) while major rivers were given female names and worshipped.
The Vice President said that it was shameful that despite such traditions, women were not getting the respect they deserved and that foreign rule, over the centuries, was responsible for this.
Urging the youth and students to shun violence, he said that issues could be resolved peacefully and without damaging public property. Violence cannot be a solution, he added.
The Vice President said that every student must be disciplined and have an outlook for the development of the country.
He said that there is a direct linkage between education and employment and asked students to acquire knowledge and skill to take up new opportunities.
He also advised students to contribute to the nation. Education is not just for employment and it is also for enhancement of knowledge and enlightenment, he added.
The Vice President appreciated the Haryana Government for giving priority to sports and complimented all the winners who have earned medals in recently held Commonwealth Games.
He added democracy allows meaningful debates on all pertaining problems and added that only constructive debate can provide answers.
The Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.