Varanasi: Amid nationwide outrage over the Delhi gangrape, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday called for changing "negative perceptions" about women and said they should be provided a safe, secure and congenial environment in which their talents can prosper.
"We as a society must work towards changing negative perceptions about women. Women must be treated with respect and should be provided a safe, secure and congenial environment in which their talents can flower and they can contribute their full share in the building of our nation," Mukherjee said.
He was addressing the special Convocation of Banaras Hindu University here organised to mark the concluding ceremony of birth centenary of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. "....The nation has been witness to the anger and rage of our youth, who have gathered in the streets of Delhi and other cities to demand stronger measures to ensure safety of women and more stringent laws to provide deterrent penalty to criminals, who endanger our women.
"I am certain that the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future. The PM has assured that all possible efforts to ensure security and safety of our mothers, sisters and daughters will be made," Mukherjee said.
To the protesters, he said, "Your anger is justified. I understand the agony of young mind, but please remember nothing is achieved through violence. "We as a society must work toward changing negative perceptions about women. Women must be treated with respect and should be provided a safe secured and congenial environment in which their talent can flower and they can contribute their full share in the building of our nation." Describing Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviaya a statesman, scholar, educationist, journalist, social reformer and legislator, the President said his contribution to the making of modern India has been immense and varied.
"Malaviyaji dedicated his whole life in the service of the nation. He was a great votary of women's education. His emphasis on women's education and empowerment should inspire us to redouble efforts in this regard," Mukherjee said.
The President also unveiled the foundation stone of Centre for Inter-Cultural Studies and Centre for Human Values and Studies. He launched a website on Mahamana on the occasion. Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav was conferred honorary doctorate of law at the convocation also attended by Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Union Minister of State for Finance Namo Narayan Meena, UP Governor BL Joshi and Chancellor of the university Karan Singh.
"It is a happy moment for all of us that we are commemorating this event by conferring the highest degree of the University on the Hon'ble President of Nepal, a country with which India has deep cultural affinity and historical ties," Mukherjee said.
Terming universities as fountainhead of knowledge, Mukherjee said they will have to discover fresh perspectives and assume new responsibilities to meet the imperatives of holistic human and social development. Recalling Malviya's vision for banishing illiteracy and fog of communalism, Mukherjee said "the fact that illiteracy still remains to be banished and the fog of communalism is yet to vanish, reminds us of the unfinished task ahead of us".
Comments
0 comment