Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday said India must shed its colonial mindset if it wants to emerge as a global leader in innovation. He was speaking at the 21st convocation ceremony of the University of Kashmir in Srinagar.
Addressing the graduating students, he urged them to focus on Swadeshi innovation and solutions rooted in Indian knowledge, resources and needs. “We need not be worried; we need not be inferior. We are to throw out our colonial mindset first,” he said. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem more vibrant and supportive than ever before.
“My best wishes to you to share the next big innovation, the next way of sustainable development, the next chapter in India's prize as a global leader,” the Vice President said. Referring to the COVID-19 epidemic, he said the Prime Minister had called upon Indian scientists to develop a vaccine to fight the disease. “How many of us believed in it? But we found the best vaccination and it has worked very well for the entire humanity,” he said.
He further claimed that while Western economies were also developing vaccines, many were focused on patenting them for high profits. “A single unit could be sold for USD 7,500. How can a poor person afford that?” he asked. Radhakrishnan said Indian innovations are now widely accepted even in Western countries. “So the whole world is open for you now, it is your initiative, it is your interest. It is your enthusiasm, and your hard work is going to put you at the top of the world,” he told the students.
He also mentioned that the Centre has cleared the development and expansion of Srinagar International Airport at an estimated cost of over Rs 1,600 crore. Referring to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks, he said tourism should expand, but without harming the state’s fragile ecosystem. He described the Chenab rail bridge as an engineering marvel and the highest railway bridge in the world.
"There are many other infrastructure projects which send out a bigger message. These projects are more than engineering achievements. They are the instruments of social harmony. When places are connected, people are connected. And when people are connected, hearts are closely connected," the Vice President said.
He noted that these initiatives create new opportunities for young people like the graduating students. He highlighted the Prime Minister’s special scholarship schemes for students of Jammu and Kashmir, saying they promote aspiration and national integration by enabling students to study across the country.
Urging students to stay away from drugs, he said their parents depend on them for support in old age. “They want you to succeed in life,” he said, adding that every religion considers narcotics sinful. “Advice your friends and family members to stay away from drugs,” he added.
He also cautioned students about excessive use of social media. “It must be controlled. Social media alone will not make you successful. Everything should have limits,” he said.
Concluding his address, Radhakrishnan shared a message of unity. “Three lines I want to tell you: 'Mera Kashmir nahi, tumhara Kashmir nahi, Hamara Kashmir'. That is what I expect from all of you,” he said.
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