Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday said respecting the sentiments of others lies at the heart of democracy, as he addressed students during his maiden visit to Kashmir and declared, “Yeah hum sabka Kashmir hai” (this is Kashmir for all of us).
The Vice President was speaking as chief guest at the 21st convocation ceremony of University of Kashmir in Srinagar.
Emphasising democratic values, Radhakrishnan said, “We are democrats. We have to accept the sentiments of others.” He underlined that in a democracy, respecting the sentiments of others is as important as respecting one’s own.
Recalling his tenure as Governor of Jharkhand, he said, “When I was Jharkhand Governor, ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ programme was introduced. A team of young J&K students had visited Ranchi. I asked Raj Bhavan people to serve all non-vegetarian food to them. I know most of them are non-vegetarians, though I am a vegetarian,” he said. “Why am I telling you this? We are democrats. We have to accept the sentiments of others,” he added.
The Vice President also urged the country to shed what he described as a colonial mindset in order to become a global leader in innovation. Encouraging graduating students to develop solutions rooted in Indian knowledge systems and local needs, he said, “We need not feel inferior. We must first throw out our colonial mindset.”
Praising the Prime Minister’s special scholarship scheme for students from Jammu and Kashmir, he said the initiative strengthens national integration. “By enabling students to study in institutions across the country, he said, the scheme deepens emotional bonds and unity. When places are connected, people are connected. When people are connected, hearts are closely connected”.
Advising students on the responsible use of technology, Radhakrishnan cautioned against overdependence on social media. “You should always be mindful of social media usage. It has to be controlled. You should not become addicted to anything, including social media,” he said.
