NEW DELHI: Urging students to develop campuses as platforms for cohesive and inclusive discussions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while unveiling a statue of Swami Vivekananda on the JNU campus on Thursday, suggested that the national interest should not be compromised by ideologies and individual thoughts, a message seen in the context of frequent confrontations and even violence between the left and Bjp men in college.
“One thing that has damaged the democratic structure of our country is giving priority to one’s own ideology over the interests of the nation,” Modi said, urging students to absorb the thoughts of Vivekananda, whose approach The main thing, he said, was to make India a great nation and a world power.
Modi, dressed in a saffron jacket, said one must be flexible in prioritizing the national interest and not just following individual thought. “You can take a look at the story that in times of adversity people of different ideologies came together. People of different ideologies came together under the leadership of Gandhiji and fought together because there was a common cause, ”he said.
“It was also witnessed during Emergencies. I was part of that movement … RSS, Jana Sangh, communists, various people belonging to JNU had also joined and fought together for the national interest ”, he added.
As the event unfolded, many students who had been protesting at the north gate of the university for two weeks over the re-entry of students to campus, disagreed against the PM. In an open letter, the JNU Student Union asked: “Why did the Center recommend the appointment of a rector who left no stone unturned in the destruction of a university that has produced Nobel prizes? Why were criminal and anti-national students called, while Nathuram Godse found a high place in Parliament? ”
Although BJP-affiliated student wings have made some headway at JNU, the campus remains predominantly a Marxist stronghold that saw pitched battles in January between groups on issues such as demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act, hostel fee increases, and blocking of academic activities. BJP’s student wing ABVP was accused of organizing acts of violence while claiming that left-wing groups had intimidated students in shelters.
Modi said that any decision made out of obsession with a certain ideology harms the nation. “If someone has accepted an ideology only for their own interest and as opportunism, they are not successful. We have to make sure a healthy debate is kept alive, ”he said.
“India is a land where seeds of different ideologies germinate and flourish. The youth of the country should strengthen this tradition of the country, “he said, adding:” This very tradition makes India the most vibrant democracy in the world. ”
Modi cited the JNU hostels, which are named after the country’s rivers such as Ganges, Godavari, Jhelum and Sutlej.
He also mentioned the popular place on campus, Sabarmati Dhaba, where students gather for refreshments and said, “The statue of Swami Vivekananda is an addition where students can meet and exchange ideas.”
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