Jai Mata Di.
From every consideration, a convocation address is difficult because the expectations are high. There is obvious belief that the person imparting the convocation address will say something novel. My task has been rendered very difficult. It is daunting and formidable because the Honourable Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has with enormous talent focused on relevance of convocation. One of the best addresses on the point I have come across and let me tell you he comes in the same league as that of chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, a former diplomat, former foreign Secretary, Kanwal Sibal.
I am sure you would bestow full attention on what the Honourable Chief Minister has imparted to you, but I have been completely pre-empted by the Lieutenant Governor, who has traversed much beyond what I had in mind, his address is inspirational, motivational and gives you a direction. His focus has been on what we need to reflect, he has as a matter of fact made a clarion call that you before us today and your class, the class of young minds, boys and girls, you are the most vital stakeholders of democracy, and you are lucky. If I may quote Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore has visualised and envisioned, what Bharat should do. “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.” we missed this ecosystem for a very long time. But now, boys and girls, you are living in times where you can have mind without fear because our economy is blossoming. Bharat is witnessing economic upsurge unknown before, and we are without fear because the
nation’s rise is being accoladed by global institutions as a favourite destination of investment and opportunity.
Never before in the history of this country since independence, the voice of Indian Prime Minister was so resonant with global leaders. With his election for the third time after 60 years, as Prime Minister has put him in the big league of global leaders and now India’s prime minister is not noticed, he his epicentre of notice and that is the achievement which you have. Boys and girls, another big change, which we did not have during our times and the change is you have an ecosystem because of affirmative governance initiative, forward-looking policies, and a new education policy that allows you to fully exploit your talent and potential and realise your dreams and ambitions. And therefore, those who after getting the degrees I congratulate them, frog leaping into the larger domain, have enormous vistas before them to make themselves in satisfaction mode. Make the teachers and parents proud and contribute for the nation.
And therefore, I have no hesitation in saying, I would not like to reiterate what has been said with great emphasis by the Honourable Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister. But for me, it’s a nostalgic moment, there are three visits to Jammu and Kashmir that I recollect. One was in early 80s. I visited places Gulmarg, Sonamarg, all places that could possibly be there along with my wife and our daughter. The second was a very painful experience. I was elected to Parliament in 1989. I was a Union Minister when I came to Srinagar as a member of the council of ministers. Boys and girls, you may not recollect because you have to look back into history. We did not see even dozens of people on the streets of Srinagar and the national scene was one of gloom.
भारत जिसको सोने की चिड़िया कहते थे उसका सोना विदेशों में जहाज के द्वारा गिरवी रखा गया Switzerland के बैंक में। and why, because our foreign exchange was in doldrums. Around US$1 billion and look at where we are at the moment. It was a glorifying moment for me in Rajya Sabha when it was declared that in Jammu and Kashmir, more than two crore tourists had visited. The aspirations of generations found wings when the constitutional walls of separation crumbled in 2019 with the historic abrogation of Article 370. Article 370 was a temporary article in the Constitution. And to young minds, let me invite your attention to two aspects. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution drafted all articles of the Constitution except Article 370.
I would urge you to go into historical perspective to know the background why he declined. Another towering giant of Indian political firmament, Sardar Patel took upon himself the task of integrating princely states except the state of the Jammu and Kashmir. But now in 2019 a big change has taken place. In the sacred land of Mata Vaishno Devi, a new pilgrimage began. The journey from isolation to integration, the winds of change have brought peace and progress. For the first time, the region experienced true national integration.
There was a demand by a great son of the soil. एक देश में एक निशान, एक प्रधान, एक विधान। That is accomplished. And what will happen? I am sure about it. Disturbance has yielded to order where we witness disorder as the normal order, we now have the real order. Jammu and Kashmir, witnessed the highest voter turnout in 35 years during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and just take note of it. With a 30-point increase in Kashmir Valley participation, democracy has found its real voice, its real resonance. I reiterate it. In 2023, over 2 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir. The result was boosting local economy. The heaven on earth is now full of hope and prosperity. It is a global attraction. Every investment proposal in New Kashmir isn't just about capital, it's about truth being restored, faith being rewarded.
The change is not imperceptible; it is perceptible. Perception has changed, ground reality is changing, hopes of the people are soaring. Private investment proposals I am happy to share with you worth Rs 60000 crores were received in two years. They signal economic interest in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, in this area. Foreign direct investment entered Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after 2019 with multiple International companies showing interest. The area is no longer a story of conflict, but it is confluence of confidence and capital. The opportunity basket in Jammu and Kashmir is expanding and continues to bloom. There is no need now to leave the region. The call is be the architects of this new dawn. Education undoubtedly is the most impactful transformative mechanism. It brings about equality that is need of the society. It caps inequities. education defines democracy. And imagine educational institutions show significant growth. This being one, but IIT, IIM, AIIMS establishing campuses in the region. Post 2019 is a great signal.
The change, boys and girls, with urge to have passion for a particular stream in academics at prestigious institutions, institutions of eminence in their area. The region’s first Multiplex opened in Srinagar in 2022 marking the return of cinema after three decades. When we look around infrastructural growth, the development in this area is standing out. Around thousand recognised start-ups and more significantly as I find in the audience also, amongst the youth, a gender balancing. One third of the start-ups are led by women. Jammu and Kashmir’s transformation is a part of a larger national revolution with everyone contributing to a new developed India. This is not just a change. It is a renaissance.
I fully agree with the Lieutenant Governor when he reflected the history of industrial revolutions. We are at the cusp of no less than an industrial revolution on account of onslaught of disruptive technologies. There is paradigm shift every moment. we have to content with disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, internet of things, machine learning, Blockchain, and the kind. And I'm happy to share with the young minds that the focus which India has bestowed by way of quantum computing, green hydrogen mission, 6G, the commercial exploitation of 6G in the second phase will start in 2025 to 2030. It is for the first time the country has seen development in sea, on sea surface, under the ground, on the ground, in the sky, in the space and that offers new opportunities to young minds. Space economy, blue economy, are the things that attract your attention. Your opportunity basket, you have to focus on it. The traditional groove, the silos of government jobs, you must get detached because hand-holding policies of the government allows you to take a big leap.
Let me tell you, this day is Dikshaant, it is not Sikshaant. Learning never stops. You cannot stop learning, it has to be with you lifelong. Let me make a reference to what a Pre-Socratic philosopher said, Heraclitus. The only constant in life is the change. He buttressed it by an illustration that the same person cannot enter the same river twice because neither the person is the same nor the river is the same.
In addition to what the Honourable Chief Minister has imparted to you, I will just add fear of fear invites failure. Fear of fear is myth. Never hesitate to experiment if an idea occurs in your mind. This mind irrespective of technology of any nature, there is no substitute of this. Don’t allow it to be a parking space of an idea, experiment, as rightly pointed out by the Honourable Chief Minister. There is nothing like failure, a setback is a step towards success. Chandrayaan 3, which created history by landing India’s spacecraft on the South pole of moon, in ShivShakti point with Tiranga, owes its success to Chandrayaan 2. I wholly disagree with people who thought Chandrayaan was not a success, it was. But we believe in a mindset that success has to be hundred percent. No. If you look into historical innovations great creations, you can see. And therefore, I wish to convey to my young friends you are seeing a Bharat which is not a nation of potential, it is a nation fully exploiting its potential. A developed nation status is not our dream. It’s our goal, a definitive goal.
I joined the LG when the Lieutenant Governor made a clarion call to you. ये यज्ञ है, इस यज्ञ में आप अपनी आहुति दीजिए । सामर्थ्य के अनुसार दीजिए क्योंकि youth से ज़्यादा प्रजातंत्र में और कोई stakeholder नहीं है ।You have to drive the engine of progress. Nothing stops you because we are proud Indians. हम भारतीय हैं, भारतीयता हमारी पहचान है, राष्ट्रवाद हमारा धर्म है। हमारा परम कर्तव्य है कि हर हालत में हम राष्ट्रहित को सर्वोपरि रखें। कोई भी ऐसा हित नहीं है, राजनीतिक और व्यक्तिगत, जो राष्ट्रहित से बड़ा है।अब समस्या आती है और कई नवयुवक मुझे कहते हैं कई नवयुवती कहती हैं हम क्या करें । I will call upon you on this particular day to focus on five points in particular. Each one of you boys and girls, you can do it, and you must do it. पाँच प्रान । ये पंच प्रण बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है। इनके अंदर है पारिवारिक मूल्य। परिवार के साथ जुड़ कर रहिए, माता पिता का सम्मान कीजिए, पड़ोसी का आदर कीजिए, समाज का अभिन्न अंग बनिए, पर्यावरण की चेतना करनी चाहिए। अपने पास धरती माँ के अलावा रहने की दूसरी जगह नहीं है। जब प्रधान मंत्री ने देश को आह्वान किया कि माँ के नाम एक पेड़ लगाओ, वो एक भावना को उजागृत करना था कि पाँच हजार की संस्कृति के अंदर जो ज्ञान है पर्यावरण के लिए उसका हमे बोध होना चाहिए। अब ये जन आंदोलन बन गया है इसका ध्यान दीजिए । India is nerve center of culture in the world, no country can take pride the way we can take because we have 5,000 years of civilisational ethos. हमारी सांस्कृतिक विरासत, सांस्कृतिक सभ्यता, ज्ञान का भंडार अद्वितीय है। ऐसी स्थिति में we must nurture our cultural values.
आत्मनिर्भरता। महात्मा गांधी ने कहा था – स्वदेशी, एक शब्द था, उस समय की अर्थव्यवस्था को हिला कर रख दिया। खादी के उपयोग से शुरू हुआ। वर्तमान प्रधानमंत्री ने इसको एक नया आयाम दिया है – Vocal for Local। आपसे आग्रह करूँगा, गंभीरता से इसका पालन कीजिए। और हर व्यक्ति के कुछ कर्तव्य हैं। अधिकारों की बात हम करते हैं क्योंकि भारत के संविधान में हमें अधिकार मिले हैं—मौलिक अधिकार। पर भारत के संविधान में मौलिक दायित्व भी हैं, पर इसमें संविधान को देखने की आवश्यकता नहीं है। हमारी संस्कृति हमें सिखाती है कि हमारा दायित्व क्या है। We must discharge our civic duties diligently, और यह जब हम करेंगे तो नतीजे निकलेंगे। पहला - we will march, and the march will be fast-tracked for attaining a developed Bharat. We will unshackle ourselves from the colonial mindset। एक तो हम कर चुके हैं, हाल में बहुत बड़ा कदम उठाया गया है। पहले जो दंड विधान था, उसको न्याय विधान कर दिया गया है— unshackling the colonial mindset.
हमे हमारी विरासत पर गर्व होना चाहिए, क्योंकि ये बेमिसाल है, जड़े मजबूत है । Lieutenant Governor focused कि ११ शताब्दी के आसपास कुछ भटकाव आ गया था, नालंदा गड़बड़ हो गया था, उसका सृजन हो रहा है। But reflect back on our historical perspective and you will find we had educational institutions like Nalanda, Takshila and many more. People from all over the world took to these institutions for gaining wisdom, knowledge and also sharing it. हमारी एक ही पहचान है वसुधैव कुटुंबकम् । and that is the message we gave to the entire world. One family one planet one future. वसुधैव कुटुंबकम् G20 message.
मेरा आपसे विनम्र आग्रह रहेगा कि आपको जो डिग्री मिली है मैं आपको बधाई देता हूँ। a convocation as indicated by the Honourable Chief Minister is a milestone to be ever remembered. This moment will ever be etched in your memory. Please be in connect with people, your friends, all your lives that will be your nectar for the rest of your life. Make it a point. I would urge the vice chancellor that under the visionary guidance of the chancellor, the alumni association must be very vibrant. Institutions thrive on the strength of alumni confederations. I had indicated an idea for a long time that our institutions of eminence like IITs, IIMs, they must have a Confederation of alumni associations because these are natural think tanks. They can help us evolve policies for national interest. I am sure something will be done positive in that direction. I am particularly touched when honour was awarded to Shiv Dutt ji, Nirmoi Ji and Dr Ram Sevak ji.
A society that recognises talent, a society that acknowledges unimpeachable credentials, a society awards those where the award is well earned by the person that is a signal to the rest of the people merit has a place because we have made exit of patronage. Patronage is no longer a password for opportunity, for success. But what struck me more fundamentally was look at doctorate in literature, doctorate in science. Two are fundamental, there has to be a synergy between the two. The two have to be in sync and that has to be our historical background. If you look at our history, you will find there has been a due regard to both, so I congratulate the chancellor and vice chancellor for being so thoughtful, for such thought-provoking choice that will ever stir our minds inviting our focus. And the address of both of them, though brief, was very illuminating.
Boys and girls, समय का अभाव है । Time is always a constraint. I will give you 2-3 suggestions. One go for your aptitude. Don’t stress yourself. Don’t carry tension. Because for the first time you are living in an ecosystem, where you can fully utilise your talent, your exploitation of talent by yourself is unstoppable like the rise of Bharat. It is unstoppable now. Two, believe in the words of Vivekanand Ji “arise awake stop not till the goal is achieved”. These are words of Vivekanand Ji when you have to study who he was, he departed from mother India at what age, how he made global impact in that time zone, where travel was very difficult. May Mata Vaishno Devi ever bless you, ever enlighten you, ever guide you, and be a perennial source of inspiration and strength. To ensure your endeavours fructify and that you are always and ever committed to serving the Nation because when Bharat prospers it contributes to global peace.
I am extremely grateful to the Chancellor, the Honourable Chief Minister and Vice Chancellor for affording me this opportunity. But I am conscious of the divine intervention of Maa Vaishno Devi. माँ का बुलावा आज आया था और माँ का नाम आते ही शरीर में एक संचार होता है sublimity का spirituality का religiosity का और सबके लिए शुभ सोचने का ।
Thank you so much!
