ROHTAK
It was a day when the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani,
offered `Saraswati Vandana' twice. First, when he bowed before
Swami Dayanand Saraswati - after whom the Maharishi Dayanand
University (MDU) here is named - and secondly, when he
expressed agony at the on-going controversy surrounding
`Saraswati Vandana'.
``Education itself is fast becoming an arena for anarchic
politics,'' he said in his convocation address at the seventh
convocation function of the MDU here today.
``At the beginning of this century, Indians in one voice
embraced the Vedas and welcomed the injunctions found in them,
but as the Century is drawing to a close, not only are the
Vedas being opposed but Saraswati Vandana also is being
boycotted,'' Mr. Advani lamented.
Mr. Mahavir Prasad, Governor of Haryana and Chancellor of the
University, presided over the convocation function. He gave
away the Ph. D degrees while the Chief Minister, Mr. Bansi
Lal, awarded gold medals to the toppers of the 1998 annual
examinations. He also released a commemorative souvenir.
Eulogising the contribution of Swami Dayanand, whom he
described as a ``great social reformer and visionary'', Mr.
Advani said this modern sage was responsible for ushering
national cultural renaissance and also initiating the
breaking- off process from the shackles of foreign
imperialism.
``India is a country which truly professes the dream and
teachings of Swami Dayanand Saraswati who considered the
entire world to be one small family and called for religious
tolerance and peaceful co-existence of various countries,''
Mr. Advani stated. It was unfortunate that some powerful
nations were trying to dominate and control other nations
through science and technology, he added.
``It is a blatant misuse of modern education and science and
technology,'' he said. Referring to a Sanskrit aphorism, he
said developed countries should use their scientific knowledge
to protect developing countries. ``Instead, they are seen
giving patronage to people who have developed destructive
tendencies. Science has to be balanced by human progress and
it is only India which can give direction to the world
community in this field''.
Mr. Advani said that to achieve its aims, India should realise
that education was important, more important than even
economic prosperity. ``Saraswati and Lakshmi go together and
the one is indispensable for the other. The time has come to
probe the reasons as to why Indians excelling in the field of
computers, space science, medical sciences, technology and
economics abroad could not do so while staying in this
country,'' he observed.
He appealed to educational administrators to create a
conducive atmosphere in their educational institutions so that
educated Indians prefer to use their talent to serve the
motherland instead of being tempted to fly abroad. ``The
polluted political atmosphere of the country is partly
responsible for the flight of native talent,'' he said.
Singling out ``will power'' as the most important factor
hampering progress in the educational sector, he lamented that
energy was being dissipated in unnecessary wrangles such as
the desirability of including Saraswati Vandana in official
functions. ``In a country where more than 40 per cent of the
population is deprived of modern education, the people have
not only to struggle extra hard to fulfil the basic
necessities, but also to maintain its social and geographical
integrity''.
Mr. Advani gave a clarion call to the youth of the country to
prepare themselves to face challenges in the contemporary
world so as to fulfil the dreams of those freedom fighters,
revolutionaries, patriots and nation-builders who lay down
their lives for greater glory. He hoped that students getting
degrees today would step in the battle of life with the dream
of building a new and resurgent India standing proud in the
comity of nations in the coming century by using their
educational talent for the country.
Advani declines doctorate
Ministers are also public servants and cannot accept honours
while still in office. The Union Home Minister Mr. L. K.
Advani proved this in no uncertain manner when he declined to
accept an offer by the university to confer a doctorate
(honaris causa) on him.
``It would be improper on my part to accept the same while
being in Government,'' Mr. Advani said.
Making it clear that he was not turning down the offer by the
Maharishi Dayanand University, Mr. Advani reiterated that he
was unable to accept the proposal as he was currently the
Union Home Minister.
Mr. Advani said that even the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr.
Bansi Lal, had requested him on phone the previous night to
accept the doctorate. ``But I told him that I am not going to
accept the offer. I also assured him that the reply would have
been the same if the honour had come from any other
university, irrespective of its stature''.
As Mr. Advani recalled his conversation with Mr. Bansi Lal, he
received a standing ovation from the Chief Minister, who
attended the convocation function.
``There cannot be a matter of greater pride than being
honoured by an institution named after one of the greatest
social reformers of our times. I would have gladly accepted
the offer had I not been Home Minister,'' he said.
``Also, I would readily accept the offer if any university
offers me when I am no longer the Union Home Minister,'' he
added.