Raipur: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said `institutionalized’ attempts were being made to convert people in the country.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the three-day Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav (statehood celebrations) here, he also stressed the need to eliminate the Left-Wing Extremism completely.
“Selfless service should be selfless. There should be no selfishness in selfless service. In the name of selfless service, not only an attempt is being made to reach the hearts of the people by luring them through different mediums, but also an attempt is being made to change the faith,” the vice president said.
“In a way, our thousands of years old culture is being attacked. The disgusting and despicable work of changing faith is going on. We should remain alert about it. It is happening in an institutional way. It is happening on the strength of money power. It is happening for a purpose,” he said.
Innocence is being exploited and misconceptions are being spread, he said, adding, “Such forces need to be stopped without any delay to keep the soul of India alive and pure.” Tribal people were being targeted by these elements, he further said, adding that society should remain alert against this “mentality.” India has a culture of taking everyone along where every section of society has a special place. This culture should be preserved forever, Dhankhar said.
Naxalism is another cause of concern for the youth of Chhattisgarh, the vice president said, while noting that the BJP government in the state is paying attention to it.
“Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and former chief minister Raman Singh tried to contain Maoism consistently,” he said.
“History reminds us that the result of taking up arms against society has never been good. We have to be cautious that our youth do not get misled and waste the wonderful years of their lives. It is a good thing that today the youth are getting many opportunities due to the positive policies of the government. Still, we have to curb the (Naxal) menace,” Dhankhar said.
Recalling the memories of the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in June 1975, Dhankhar said no one has the right to tamper with the Indian Constitution, and such attempts should be thwarted.
“We are approaching Constitution Day. I urge the youth to remember the role of the Constitution. It is the bedrock on which our nation stands. Every year on November 26, we celebrate Constitution Day to remind every citizen, especially the youth, of the importance and strength of the Constitution,” he said.
Without naming Indira Gandhi, the vice president further said, “There was a time, when someone imposed Emergency while being prime minister. Fundamental rights were suspended for 21 months. The situation was so dreadful in 1975, 76 and 77 that democratic values were nowhere to be seen. Even students and lakhs of other people were put behind bars. There was no freedom of journalism. The entire political class was exiled,” Dhankhar said.
The current generation should learn from that dark chapter and ensure that such mistakes are never repeated, he added.
Thanks to the Constitution, a bill reserving 33 per cent of seats for women in the legislative assemblies and Lok Sabha was passed, he said, adding, “And it is not just about 33 per cent reservation, it can be more as one-third representation of women will be there in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories.
The vice president appreciated the fact that 19 women were elected to the Chhattisgarh assembly in the last elections, with a significant number of them coming from SC and ST communities.
The progress of the states and the nation’s development are deeply connected and they complement each other, he said.
“The interests of the state cannot be separated from the interests of the nation. The state and the nation are one,” Dhankhar added.
