The Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today called upon the youth to develop a positive outlook and strive to build a New India which will be free of poverty, discrimination, inequalities, corruption and hunger.Speaking at Kalam’s Convention -2020 organised by the Kalam’s Institute of Youth Excellence at the Brahma Kumaris’ Shanti Sarovar Lane in Hyderabad, he urged the youth to not support those who are encouraging violence.Shri Naidu observed that those who were instigating violence were anti- people and working against the interests of the nation.Stating that peace was the foremost prerequisite for development of the country, he said there was no scope for violence in democracy and asserted that ballot was more powerful than bullet.Observing that youth were the future of the country, the Vice President urged them to always protect India’s rich cultural heritage, traditions and age-old civilizational values. He wanted the youth to show empathy and concern for the less privileged by adopting India’s core philosophy of share and care.Stressing the need to reorient the education system to nurture children to be creative, imaginative and innovative, the Vice President called for revisiting the history textbooks to highlight the immense sacrifices and contributions made by freedom fighters from different parts of the country like Alluri Seetarama Raju, Veerapandia Kattabomman, Lala Lajapati Rai and Veer Savarkar among others.
Talking about the need to have ethics in public life, the Vice President urged people to elect representatives who possess character, good conduct, capacity and calibre and not the other 4 Cs-- Caste, Community, Cash and Criminality.Paying rich tributes to Former President of India, Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, theVice President said that Dr. Kalam was the shining example that human beings could shape their lives through will, persistence, hard work, discipline, dedication and sheer courage and perseverance.“He dreamt of building a developed India and took up a mission to ignite the young minds for national development by meeting the students across the country,” he added.Describing Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as an extraordinary scientist, visionary leader, passionate teacher and a compassionate human being, Shri Naidu said that he inspired Indian youth to aim high, dream big and work hard to achieve their goals. Shri Naidu asked the youth to be in the forefront in the fight against social evils, like caste and gender discrimination and also take lead in protecting the environment and nature, while learning to live with it.The Chairman of DRDO, Dr. G. Satish Reddy, Indian Founder, Kalam’s Institute of Youth Excellence, Shri Naresh, Trustee, Kalam’s Institute of Youth Excellence, Shri Pidikiti Bhopal and the Chairman, Gandhi Global Family, Dr.Gunna Rajendar Reddy, were present at the event.