Time for soul-searching to address social maladies: Justice Chalameswar

‘There is something fundamentally wrong’

Expressing serious concern over social maladies adversely impacting people of different strata, Supreme Court Judge Justice Jasti Chalameswar said it was time people did some soul-searching to seek answers.

Addressing a meeting organised to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of Viswabharati educational institutions which also coincided with foundation-stone laying for Viswabharati Wisewoods International School at Vanapamula of Gudivada mandal in Krishna district on Saturday, Justice Chalameswar said: “Our educational institutions set up in the olden times are unable to sustain, our IITs have lost sheen; our government-run hospitals are least preferred; our students prefer foreign universities to pursue higher education. Why is this happening. There is something fundamentally wrong which needs to be corrected.”

Social awareness

He said the local population preferred foreign lands because they were beautiful, clean and had institutions which maintained high standards. “We need to ask ourselves as to why our country is found lacking these facilities. There are fundamental issues we have lost sight of in the last 50-60 years,” he said, urging people to contribute their mite to right the wrongs to develop the nation in at least in the next 50 years.

Social awareness, he suggested, should be integrated in the education system, insisting that it was possible to infuse this key trait in students in scientific ways.

‘Don’t lose enthusiasm’

He advised the students never to lose enthusiasm.

“Shun apprehensions and believe in yourself. If you know you are right, don’t think what the world will think of you; go ahead without compromising on principles. If you think your action will do good to society, don’t stop just because nobody else has done it before,” he said.

Central Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary said education integrated with values was the need of the hour. Speaking about the different grades of values, he said “we need to define our own values”.

He said seeds of knowledge, curiosity and determination should be sown early in children and they should be encouraged to take up social responsibility.

Member Kendriya Hindi Samithi Y. Lakshmi Prasad, Machilipatnam MP K. Narayana Rao, Chairman of Vignan Group of Institutions L. Rattaiah, founder and Chairman of Viswabharati Institutions Potluri Sreemannarayana and others spoke.