VP Naidu blames foreign rulers of bygone era for lack of respect for women in India

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu today blamed foreign rule in the past for the situation now where women do not get the respect which he felt Indian tradition gave them.

Addressing the 30th convocation of Kurukshetra University, he said women form about 50 percent of the population, and must be respected. Indians called their country 'Bharat Mata', he said. "Most of our rivers like Godavari, Ganga, Yamuna are named after females. Saraswati mata is for knowledge, Durga mata for defence and Laxmi mata for finance," he said. Holding colonial and foreign rule responsible, he condemned the manner in which society now saw women despite these traditions. "It is shameful and needs to be condemned," Naidu said.

He did not mention the Kathua rape and murder case or the controversy over a rape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. He also urged students not to resort to violence for getting any demands met and said disputes should be settled through discussion. Protests must be peaceful as destruction of property was their own loss, he told them. The Vice President urged university university graduates to build their careers on calibre and character, saying there was no shortcut to success. He asked them to adopt discipline and hard work to achieve their goals and to create a 'New India'.

Quoting the success stories of former President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and giving examples from his own life, Naidu said India was a land of opportunity. Everybody had a chance to rise high through hard work and dedication, he said. He said after completing their education, the students must imbibe discipline, respect for others and the interest of the country. Naidu said India was a land of diversity where people professed different religions, but culturally were very similar. "Language is a reflection of the culture and people of the nation must have love for their mother tongue, which emanates from the heart," he said. But he asked students to learn at least one language from another part of the country to develop cultural sensitivity and respect for others.

Naidu said to bring in true "swaraj" everyone, and not just the government, needed to contribute. "Sixty-five per cent of the Indian population is under 30 years of age and their participation in nation building could bring tremendous change in the life of all sections of society," he said. He lauded Kurukshetra University for organising the "best convocation event" he had attended. He lauded the vice chancellor, teachers, other staff and students for building up their university as a respected institution and expressed hope that the trend will continue. Naidu said girl students outnumbered boys in receiving gold medals and degrees at the PhD and MPhil levels. This reflected the status of women in the institution, which needs to be emulated by the others in the country, he said.

Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, who is also chancellor of Kurukshetra University, conferred degrees on 84 PhD, 33 MPhil and 1,363 other students. He told the students, "You need to take on the challenges and shoulder responsibilities to transform India into a global economic power." "Every decision taken by you as a thought leader should bear testimony to these qualities," he said. "All of you have been very fortunate not only to have graduated from this nation's renowned institution, but from a place that is celebrated for being the origin of learning and knowledge. Very few institutions can be proud of their history, the way Kurukshetra University can," he added.