Use tech to improve the lot of the toiling masses: Kovind

‘People from all walks of life have a role to play in this regard’

February 23, 2019 01:10 am | Updated 01:10 am IST - NELLORE

VVIP visit:  President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President  M. Venkaiah Naidu at the anniversary celebrations of the Swarna Bharat Trust, at Venkatachalam on Friday.

VVIP visit: President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu at the anniversary celebrations of the Swarna Bharat Trust, at Venkatachalam on Friday.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday underscored the need for people from all walks of life to contribute their mite for improving the conditions of those in the rural areas.

Speaking at the 18th anniversary of the Swarna Bharat Trust (SBT) at Venkatachalam village, near here, Mr. Kovind said, “Many a time, I get an opportunity to interact with people from different walks of life, and they include intellectuals and scientists. I impress upon them saying they owe their success to not just their individual effort but society’s blessings as well.”

“Each one of us should gave back to society in whatever manner possible and strive to reach out to the underprivileged students, farmers and others in the rural areas,” he said.

Pointing out that technology could help improve the lot of the toiling masses in the villages, he said one such instance was the government’s initiative to provide soil health cards, which benefited millions of hard-working farmers.

In this context, Mr. Kovind hailed the SBT for using science and technology to help the rural communities.

Gandhian ideals

Maintaining that the Gandhian ideals were ever relevant, he said the SBT drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s slogan ‘Back to the villages’, and focused on farming, sanitation, education and sustainable living.

Mahatma Gandhi had advocated the use of eco-friendly cotton fabric a century ago. Similarly, the success of Swachh Bharat as a national mission, and achieving the goal of universal availability of modern sanitation was a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in the 150th year of his birth, Mr. Kovind added. Reformist Nanaji Deshmukh, from whom Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu drew inspiration to start the SBT, was worthy of emulation as he renounced high office to transform the rural communities into productive, self-sufficient units at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, he said. “In a happy coincidence, I am coming here almost exactly a month after Nanaji was honoured with Bharat Ratna posthumously,” the President said.

Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said he was happy that the SBT had skilled more than one lakh youth since its inception in the year 2000 and ensured gainful employment for them in collaboration with the like-minded captains of industry and trade.

Cultural show

Earlier, the President and others in the audience, who included Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, and Ministers S. Chandramohan Reddy and Amaranatha Reddy, were floored by the cultural programmes of students from Akshara Vidyalaya and IIIT, Nuziveedu.

Sk. Nadiya won a word of appreciation from the President for her scintillating Kuchipudi performance.

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