Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, 14th July 2010
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
I congratulate the
Scouts and Guides, Rovers and Rangers as well as Adult Leaders who have
received the Rashtrapati Award Certificates for the year 2009. Just now we
heard some songs rendered by the Scouts, which showed our nation's cultural
diversity. The Bharat Scouts and Guides is an organization which brings unity
to the diversity. It is an important organization as it seeks to build the
character of young people by encouraging them to be pure in thought, word and
deed and to become conscientious citizens. Preparing the youth to act in a
responsible manner is undoubtedly a valuable national service, and I wish the
Scouts and Guides Movement all success in this work.
Youth, with their
energy and dynamism, with their dreams and aspirations, are a force when
channelised productively can make any nation proud. Swami Vivekananda had great
faith in the younger generation and he used to say, "Give me a few men and
women who are pure and selfless and I shall shake the world". The youth
constitute the majority of India's population and for the next few decades,
India will continue to have a large proportion of young people. I believe that
when the 540 million youth of our country are educated, and they work
determinedly in the spirit of service for the country, India's future will
definitely be glorious. Young Indians have been demonstrating their
capabilities and strengths in various fields of human activities in the country
and across the world. Whether in the IT industry worldwide or international
banks or global scientific organizations or multi-national business
enterprises, there are young people from India who are joining their ranks. In
sports, our youth have won international tournaments and brought laurels and
medals to the country. However, we must not rest on our laurels. In this world
of intense competition we need to continually strive for excellence.
Among our youth we
have our future leaders, business persons and entrepreneurs, scientists and
engineers, sportspersons and artists, lawyers and doctors of the country. The
nation needs a variety of professionals and skilled workers for balanced and
all round progress. It is important that whatever work one is involved in, is
done with a deep sense of duty and commitment to complete it in a time bound
manner. As students, you should study hard and when you study, it must be for
true learning and understanding. Be disciplined and methodical in your daily
lives. These qualities ensure that you attend to assigned tasks, and do what
needs to be done on a daily basis. This helps in step-by-step progress in life
and brings success. Fortune is an outcome of good work and can slip away, if
laxity sets in. Therefore, be consistent in what you do.
Life is full of
experiences - satisfaction when successful, joy during happy events, pride in
having achieved a target. But, there will also be challenging moments. There
will be times when victory will be elusive. Lack of success does not mean that
we give up. It only means that we have to work harder, and that we have to
persevere till our objective is achieved. There is the famous story about
Thomas Edison, known for his path-breaking inventions. It is said that after
trying 9,999 times to perfect the light bulb, Thomas Edison had not succeeded.
Somebody asked Edison, "Are you going to have ten thousand failures"?
Edison replied, "I have never failed even once. I have had thousands of
learning experiences. I had to run through enough learning experiences to find
a way that it did work." Edison did not let failure daunt him and his untiring
efforts resulted in the invention of the bulb.
Today, we live in a
knowledge society in which human progress relies on creativity and innovation.
It will be new ideas and new creations that will change the world. It is for
this reason that the Government has declared the next ten years as the Decade
of Innovation in the country. Our people have the ability to innovate. This
year in March, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, we had an exhibition of innovations
principally from grassroots innovators. Many interesting exhibits were put up.
Three young students also participated. Their innovations related to a
breathing censor apparatus to assist physically challenged people, a bed that
prevents the occurrence of bed sores for use in hospitals and for old people,
as well as a motor system for drying clothes that could be used for household
chores. These innovations were remarkable, but what impressed me most was that
they were thinking of others. In the quest for progress we must never lose the
sense of compassion towards others. This is the essence of humane societies.
You should also work to eliminate social evils which cause discriminations and
distortions in our society. There can be no place for dowry, female foeticide,
female infanticide or child marriage.
Another aspect
which every Indian must bear in mind is the importance of peace and harmony in
the country. This can be achieved if we appreciate that our country has a vast
variety of customs, food habits, languages, religious practices, traditions and
cultures. I am glad that the Bharat Scouts and Guides organizes Youth
Interstate Cultural Exchange Programmes and National Integration Programmes in
different parts of the country. The organization was given the Indira Gandhi
National Integration Award for the year 1987. It would, however, be well to
remember that our Late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi used to say that there
can be no respite in the work of national integration. We must constantly
strive to build understanding and a sense of collective pride in our Indianness
and reject narrow and divisive agendas. The youth should pursue an agenda for
growth and prosperity. They should be oriented in this direction. I am aware
that the Bharat Scouts and Guides have a campaign called "Khari
Kamai." It encourages the youth to go out into their localities and offer
to work in return for some earnings. The money thus earned is utilized for
activities of their unit in the Scouts and Guides. This teaches dignity of
labour. Such concepts and values are the very bedrock of nation building activities.
Belonging to a
civilization that has deep reverence towards nature, we must cherish its
abundance. Planet Earth belongs to all of us, and we must judiciously use its
resources, work to conserve its rich flora and fauna, as well as adopt environment
friendly approaches. Global warming and climate change are major challenges
confronting us. Every effort designed to make people environment friendly is a
contribution to meet this challenge. Youth can help by planting trees, keeping
their schools and homes neat and tidy, as well as developing a civic sense.
Parents and school teachers can play an important role in guiding children. The
Scouts, Guides, Rangers and Rovers are fortunate that they have the guidance of
Adult Leaders. I am sure that they impart the values and qualities that prepare
the youth for meaningful lives so that while excelling in professions, they
also work for better societies and a stronger nation.
With these words, I
once again convey my best wishes to the Scouts and Guides Movement and all
those present here.
Thank You.
Jai Hind!