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November 20, 2004
Manipur
“I am delighted to be here with you this morning, and
to address the Ninth Convocation of Manipur University. My heartiest
congratulations to all those who have been conferred degrees and awarded
gold medals and cash awards. Returning to a university campus is always
an emotional experience for me. My professional life started among you,
teachers and students, and I know how important any Convocation is in
the academic life and calendar of a university As I stand here before
you, memories rush into my mind of my days on a University campus. It
feels good to be here again after a long gap. I was here in the late
1980s. The universities in the North East have made a name for
themselves and the Manipur University stands tall among them and among
the several hundred universities we now have across the country.
Manipur is a rich storehouse of culture with
distinctive qualities and characteristics, a repository of culture,
tradition, life and aspects of the communities inhabiting the State. The
folktales, folk-songs, ballads, proverbs, riddles, sayings, chants,
beliefs, folk arts, dances and practices, constituting the culture of
the Meitei's, the Muslims, the Nagas and Kukis inhabiting the plain and
the hills to Manipur are well-known all over the globe. It is no wonder
that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru referred to Manipur as the Switzerland of the
East and the Jewel of India.
Manipur needs to look to the future with hope and
confidence, I do believe that the creativity, the spirit of adventure
and the cultural and spiritual values of the people of Manipur must and
will find a space for free expression in an India that is growing, an
India that is multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-faceted. I am
aware of Manipur’s problems in some ways they are unique but in many
ways they are common to the North-East as a whole, indeed, to large
parts of the sub-continent. Every Indian yearns for a life of peace and
security, both economic and personal, and a life of dignity. It is only
but natural that the people of Manipur also seek the same. This is a
natural yearning of all human beings in a civilized society. It is a
right our democracy assures every citizen.
My intimate association with this region is its
representative in Parliament, has given me a deep appreciation of your
hopes and aspirations. My commitment to the States of the North East and
to Manipur is abiding. I believe that Manipur’s foremost priority is
economic and social development. It needs new investment and employment
opportunities. It needs better infrastructure. It certainly needs
improved connectivity road, rail, air and telecom and broadband
connectivity tucked away in these beautiful hills you must not feel you
are in an island of tranquility isolated from a fast-changing world. I
want to work towards removing forever any sense of isolation that may be
there. We will build new physical links and nurture old emotional ones
so that Manipur is never far from our hearts.
Manipur must make rapid strides in human development.
The ray of education must touch all your families. Education empowers
everyone. Attaining capabilities enables you to not only make use of new
opportunities but to be able to create these opportunities for yourself.
I would also like to see the development of Manipur’s art, culture and
sports. You have a rich tradition in sports. Our government would like
to strengthen our national capability in sports. We are hosting the 2010
Commonwealth Games and would like to bid for 2016 Olympic Games. Manipur
will have to play a major role in training and generating the next
generation of world-class sports persons who can win laurels in these
games.
We must work together to rid Manipur and the North
Eastern region of the scourge of poverty and disease. I want all you
young people to join me in a renewed campaign against HIV / AIDS. It is
a pandemic we must all fight together so that the well-being of future
generations is safeguarded. The fight against poverty and disease must
be combined with the fight against the drugs and the illegal and
dastardly trade in narcotics.
I have come to Manipur with another message. Apart
from seeking peace and development, I want you all to work with us to
also ensure the social and political empowerment of all people. I had
been urging young people all over the country to come forward and
actively participate in social change and in political life. I want to
see the idealism that inspired our national movement to capture the
hearts and minds of young people so that we can together strengthen the
routes of pluralism and of multi-culturalism that define our democracy.
Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru captured this core element of our nationhood in the
phrase ‘unity in diversity’. That is the source of our strength and
brotherhood.
I have come to Manipur to start a new process,
recognizing your legitimate aspirations for a life of dignity with
self-respect. That new process will be one in which we can ensure the
security of all our people and the security of the nation in a manner
that is humane and just. That was my message to the people of Kashmir.
That is my message to the people of Manipur. Violence, militancy and
terrorism offer no long-lasting solutions to the complex challenges our
societies face. I dream of a Manipur free of violence. When that day
dawns we will also have a Manipur free of the security forces that are
now there to deal with that violence. While it is unfortunate that the
brave men of our armed forces have on occasions become the object of
public resentment because of the unacceptable behaviour of a few, we
must remember that they are here to uphold the rule of law. I assure you
that the rule of law will always prevail, whoever the lawbreaker. If
peace is given a chance, I am certain that we will not have to burden
our armed forces with duties they are not supposed to perform. I hope
peace returns here, sooner rather than later, and this will enable us to
correct how we manage internal security.
I empathise with the concerns expressed here in
Manipur regarding the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. I have already
made my views clear. I sympathize with the legitimate aspirations of the
people of Manipur. There are also the imperatives of national security.
In order to strike a balance between the two, we have set up a committee
to review the provisions of the Act. The Committee will suggest checks
and balances in the Act or replacing it with a more humane law, which
takes into, account your legitimate aspirations and national security
concerns. It will complete its work in six months. When I met mothers in
distress from Manipur, I shared their anguish and their pain. This
should satisfy all.
My young friends, I urge you to raise your sights
higher and think into the future and ask what is it that we must do to
bring prosperity to Manipur. How do we revitalize local Government and
traditional forums of consultation at the community level? This is
important because Governance and development administration should be
transparent and participatory. I am acutely aware of the cancer of
corruption that is eating into the vitals of development administration
all over the country, and not just here. There are no administrative
solutions to this problem. The real solution is to empower civil
society. You young people can play a vital role in bringing greater
transparency into governance and making Governments more accountable not
only once in five years but at all times.
Finally, I would like you to reflect on the new
opportunities that can come your way from the development of the
knowledge economy and the increased connectivity between Manipur, the
North-Eastern States and the region around us. I have already said we
want to improve Manipur’s connectivity to the region around. We would
like to invest in the creation of modern infrastructure to enable this.
However, for this to happen, we need peace, security and political
stability. If we can work together to bring normalcy back, I can assure
you that Manipur will become the jewel of India.
Mr. Vice Chancellor, Faculty and students, I am
impressed by the record of achievement of Manipur University, despite
the physical and financial constraints it faces. I know that you need
more investment in infrastructure as well as in faculty development.
Considering all the positive achievements of the University and the
constraint of funds facing the University, I have agreed to upgrade
Manipur University as a Central University.
Further more, the College of Technology would become
a constituent college of the University. The Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Government of India would be issuing the necessary orders
in this connection very soon. I want facilities improved here so that
you do not have to travel to distant cities in search of quality
education. But, for those of you who chose to go to New Delhi or other
important Centres of Education, we will try and see how we can provide
some assured hostel facilities from the North Eastern States so that you
are able to find a home away from home.
We live in an increasingly knowledge-based economy
and education in the most important empowerment we can secure in
building the capabilities we need to face the world outside. You young
men and women have had the benefit of good education. I urge you to put
it to the best use possible, in the interest of your families, your
communities, your nation and of mankind. I am confident that the youth
of Manipur will contribute their best to the cause of nation building. I
urge you to appreciate the fact that education is but a medium for the
flowering of the human personality. It is a reservoir from which spring
the streams of innovation and imagination, of bold new departures, of
dynamism in thought and action.
I invite you to write a new chapter in the history of
Manipur so that we can all look forward to a life of peace, prosperity
and dignity.” |
