Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that abrogation of Article 370 was India’s internal affair and had helped in strengthening the unity of the country.
Delivering the convocation address at the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in the city, Mr. Naidu, who digressed from the prepared text of his address, said that it was imperative for youngsters of the country to maintain national unity and integrity and touched upon the abrogation of Article 370 in this context.
He said Article 370 was meant to be temporary and it did not come through any constitutional amendment but through a Presidential order and has now been abrogated. “It is only an administrative matter and our internal affair similar to reorganisation of States or districts. But some people are involved in disinformation campaign against it,” said Mr. Naidu.
He said the abrogation was not carried out overnight and it was passed in the Rajya Sabha with a 2/3 majority which, Mr. Naidu said, was a momentous occasion as the government does not have a majority in that House. Similarly, it was passed with a 4/5th majority in the Lok Sabha to bring about the total integration of the country.
He said any nation aspiring to be a great power should also have pride in its history and cultural values and it was time to explore the Indian perspective. Though India was a ‘Vishwa Guru’ that attracted students to Nalanda, Taxila etc., there was not one single Indian educational institution among the top 100 in the world in present times and this was a challenge for those in the field of education to take up and strive to shore up standards.
The Vice-President also stressed upon the importance of education in one’s mother tongue and said he had made it his mission to speak on it after assuming office. “You can learn any number of languages but let education be in one’s mother tongue. I have nothing against th eEnglish language but do not become English-minded,” he said.
Suttur Mutt seer Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami, district in-charge Minister V. Somanna, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, students and faculty of JSS Academy were present.
