DICTATION EXERCISE-58

Madam Chairperson, I will start by saying that the biggest sufferers of partition were the people from Punjab, especially the Sikhs and other minorities. During partition time, lakhs of our brothers and sisters were forced to flee Pakistan, and they had to come to India. Even if they had land, other properties or any business there, everything was taken over. They were left with nothing, and they came to India. You might have heard, seen and read the news reports. Trains full of bodies were sent to India. During partition, a few members of the minority communities still stayed back in Pakistan. If you look at the figures that I have got from the data during partition in 1947, you will see that 75 per cent of the people of Pakistan belonged to the majority community, and 25 per¹⁴⁰ cent of them belonged to all other minorities. Today, after 72 years, less than 5 per cent belong to minority¹⁶⁰ communities in Pakistan. So, where has the large number of people gone? Majority of them were forced to convert into the majority religion because that was the only way left for them to live there. I can give you thousands and thousands of such examples where a person living in Punjab, India is a Sikh, and his cousin or his brother living in Pakistan is a Muslim. One of our MLAs is a Sikh but his uncle in Pakistan is a Muslim. So, they were all forced to convert. However, a few people still maintained the identity but they had to face a lot of hardships. A lot of members of the Sikh Community keep on visiting us during their²⁸⁰ visits to Golden Temple, and we have the opportunity to talk to them. A lot of our Jathas go to Pakistan to visit our religious places. They have the opportunity to talk to our brothers and sisters there. There is³²⁰ a sense of suffocation there. I can give you numerous examples. Thousands of cases come up in newspapers about Sikh girls being forcefully converted to Islam.

The situation in Afghanistan is not very different. There were more than 3,00,000 Sikhs and other communities living happily in Afghanistan. They were controlling the business there, they were very well-off and when Taliban came, they started persecuting these communities. They were kidnapped, killed or forced to flee. During the last 25 to 30 years, at least 75,000 of them have come to India. They have been living here, but without any citizenship. ⁴²⁰ A lot of them have met us because Shiromani Akali Dal represents the Punjabi community and they came to us. Since the last three decades, we have been regularly approaching the Home Ministry and representing that these poor people have left Afghanistan and Pakistan. They cannot live here because they do not have any papers with them. They have no⁴⁸⁰ rights and police and other officials harass them day after day and they are living here without citizenship. Their children born here cannot live here. They gave examples that their Sikh brothers from Afghanistan, who have gone to America or England or any other European country, have got citizenship within two months. But in our country, we were not given citizenship. Shiromani Akali Dal has been regularly pursuing their case and we are happy that finally those people who spent⁵⁶⁰ 30 years of their life here can see the light at the end of the tunnel. They can feel that they are citizens of India. But at the same time, I would like to mention one thing. We must not forget that India is a secular country. Our nation is one where every religion in the world is here. India has been a land of saints and gurus and Sikhism preaches secularism. Our ninth Guru, Shri Teg Bahadur sacrificed his⁶⁴⁰ life for saving Hindu religion because Hindus were being converted. I will give you another example. When our fifth Guru, Shri Arjun Dev started the construction of the Golden Temple, he made a Muslim lay the foundation stone.

Madam, my father has served as the Chief Minister five times. Our Party has always believed that every community, especially minorities, need⁷⁰⁰ to be protected. My father, when he was the Chief Minister, used to go and attend every religious function of every community. I will give an example. You might have heard of riots in other parts of the country in other States. But you will never hear of a communal riot in Punjab. Even during the worst phases of Punjab when the terrorism was at its peak, everyone in Punjab lived in peace and harmony. So, we have to preserve our secular status. I know this Bill affects minority community. It does not have that much effect on the majority⁸⁰⁰ community. We are talking about Pakistan. I do not want to take names of religions here. I just want to request. Why do we not add the name of Muslims? I give you an example of Ahmadiyya community in Punjab⁸⁴⁰ where Qadian is the headquarters of Ahmadiyya community of the whole of the world. They are the minority Muslims in Pakistan. That means, they cannot perform namaz there. Their hands are cut. They are treated like second-class citizens in Pakistan. Just as we go to Nankana Sahib, people from Ahmadiyya community come from Pakistan to Qadian on a regular basis. Anyway, this Bill is based on religious persecution. You are having a Committee which is going to examine each and every case individually. If you are examining each and every case individually, you will not get any case from this community in Punjab. At the same time, we will be able to shut them up, but they are putting⁹⁶⁰ up false propaganda around the country that NDA is communal, NDA is this and that. For them, they are just⁹⁸⁰ looking at one word and are trying to fight it. If we abjure that word, I think, it will send a good message among everyone. At the same time, it will hold the secular credential.

Hon. Chairperson, this Bill is not just an affront to the basic tenets of equality and religious non-discrimination that have been enshrined in our Constitution but also an all-out assault on the very idea of India that our forefathers gave their lives for during the freedom struggle. Our freedom movement was split on the issue of whether religion should be the determinant of nationhood. Those who believed in that were those who advocated the idea of Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and many other leaders believed in the opposite that religion has nothing to do with our nationhood and they created a free (1120) country for people of all religions, regions, castes and languages. The Indian Constitution rejected the notion of the two-nation theory. If this Bill passes, it will mark the victory of Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s thinking over that of Mahatma Gandhi. You cannot say that you reject Pakistan while advocating the same logic as Pakistan. Ironically, it goes against the historic legacy of Hindus in this country. Swami Vivekananda has already been quoted. He said how proud he was to speak of a nation that has long given refuge to the persecuted people of all nations and all faiths. We lived up to Swami Vivekananda by giving refuge to Tibetan refugees, to the Bahai Community, to Sri Lankan Tamils and also to ten million Bangladeshis, the largest refugee extradition in human history without once asking them what their religion was. Today, you (1260) are violating Article 14 of the Constitution by singling out one community and refusing to grant them asylum from oppression. (1280) We already have had a partition of the Indian soil. This Bill is marking a partition of the Indian soul and I beg this Government not to proceed with this. I worked for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for 11 years and I can tell you, how sad it is that India is one of the few democracies in the world not to have ratified either the refugee convention or protocol and India is one of the few democracies not to have a refugee law.

I am saying that we have a wonderful record of refugees. I mentioned about the largest refugee extradition in the history but we have not created any legal instruments. I went to the former (1400) Home Minister and put my Private Member’s Bill, requesting a national asylum and a refugee policy. I have met the Minister of State and the Home Secretary too. The Government has not been interested in pursuing this. The point is (1440) that unfortunately the Government is not taking any basic step which is required under international law to improve the determination of refugee status, to go ahead with ensuring treatment of refugees. There are people who are fearing persecution on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, political opinion and sexual orientation. All these people are excluded from this Bill. It seems to me that differentiating on the basis of religion, you have omitted Muslim minorities like Ahmadis in Pakistan, Persian and Hazaras in Afghanistan, and Rohingyas in Bangladesh. In fact, you have left out Myanmar altogether even though we have a border with it. (1542)

Dictation Exercise 6

At the outset, I wish the participants to the Centenary Session of Indian Science Congress and the people of the nation, a purposeful and productive New Year. My warmest congratulations to the Indian Science Congress on the occasion of the celebration of their centenary. The Prime Minister of India generally inaugurates the annual sessions of Indian Science Congress. In the current year, the Association has elected the Prime Minister as its General President. I congratulate Dr. Manmohan Singh for being elected as the General President of Indian Science Congress in this historic year. It is a befitting honour. I can from personal experience vouchsafe the abiding faith of Dr. Manmohan Singh on education, science and technology. The good performance of science and technology sector in the recent years, I believe, owes greatly to the generous government support for S&T catalyzed (140) by the Prime Minister.

I am an alumnus of Calcutta University. Naturally, I am delighted to participate in a function (160) co-organized by Calcutta University. As an alumnus, I fondly remember the defining role of this university and Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee in nurturing the Indian Science Congress in the early years. Kolkata has remained historically a city of culture and knowledge. All Nobel Prizes awarded for work from India are somehow linked to the city of Kolkata. Sir Ronald Ross carried out his pioneering research on malaria in this city for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1902. Sir C.V. Raman’s remarkable discovery, the Raman Effect, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, was made here in Kolkata. The legendry Rabindranath Tagore and Mother Teresa were also awarded Noble Prizes for their work carried out (280) in Kolkata. The earliest organizations associated with science—The Asiatic Society, The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science and the Indian Science Congress Association were established here. These organizations gave rise to celebrated luminaries in science who promoted a (320) scientific culture. Sir J.C. Bose, Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose, P.C. Ray, Meghnad Saha and many others built the edifice of modern science in the country. Sir J.C. Bose is hailed as the first of modern scientists of this country. His original contributions to the invention of radio are well known. The recent discovery of Higgs-Boson particle highlights the epoch-making contributions of Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose to Particle Physics. I do hope that the modern scientists of this city would emulate the examples of these leaders of science of the past.

ISCA presented me a compilation of all the (420) addresses of General Presidents of the Association as well as the inaugural addresses delivered over the years. These make fascinating reading. In a sense, these capture the history of Indian Science as it evolved over the past 100 years. In the year 1957, I was a student at Calcutta University. In that year, the Prime Minister of India Pandit Nehru (480) was the Chief Guest. The Chief Minister of Bengal, the visionary Prof B.C. Roy was the President of the Science Congress. The topic of B.C. Roy's address to the Congress was ‘On Science for Human Welfare and Development of Country’. The topic then was akin to the theme of the present session - 'Science for Shaping Future of India '. I was greatly touched by B.C. Roy's concluding message and I quote: “The clouds of time may have hidden for (560) us innumerable problems, trials and dangers, yet time may also reveal solutions of unknown difficulties or delightful surprises which man with his knowledge of Science should be prepared to turn to his advantage with faith, hope and goodwill.”

Let me congratulate the Indian Science Congress for selecting ‘Science for Shaping Future of India’ as the focal theme for its 100th Session. Science has to be closely linked to a culture within the society which is built on scientific knowledge. (640) It calls for a scientific temper that Pandit Nehru always used to talk about. Scientific culture demands that choices and decisions are made by individuals, society and the nation on the basis of scientific logic. Indian economy has been following a new paradigm of development that is, faster, sustainable and inclusive growth with equity. It is a new concept because it combines (700) the faster growth with objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability. How to harness the forces of science, technology and innovation to achieve this end calls for deep deliberation. I am sure, you will discuss this in all its aspects and implications with the seriousness that it demands. Science is one of the creative endeavours of human mind. Pursuit of Science as a personal passion cannot be regulated or directed when the thrill of pursuit is in knowing the truth of the Nature. Prepared and creative minds are required to observe the revelations of Nature. Science seeks universal and fundamental truth. Culture (800) of Excellence is the second nature of creative scientists. Eminent scientists of the world have always been concerned as to how their understanding of natural phenomena could be applied to solve social problems of the future. Sir J.C. Bose, more (840) than a century ago, on 5th March 1885, wrote in his diary, ‘I have been thinking whether the solar energy that is wasted in tropical regions in a new way could be utilized. Of course, trees conserve the solar energy. But is there no other way of directly utilizing the radiant energy of the sun?’ The seed for artificial photosynthesis was sown then. Even now it is an active area of research pursuit globally. His disciple Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose was a powerful communicator and an inspired teacher. He delivered lectures on ‘power’ and ‘nuclear energy’ in a language that laymen could understand. He motivated generation of people to move towards scientific endeavour. Public and political understanding of science (960) is crucial. For that, I would like to urge upon you all to apply modern tools for communicating science in (980) a manner that can be understood by the common man. This understanding would contribute to the creation of a Science culture in the Indian society.  The prime concern of any government in a country is enhancing the well-being of its people. Technology has the power of changing the lives of the people by creating physical well-being. Countries have undergone transformational changes, all in one generation, from a relatively weak to an emerging economy. In this transformational change, technology-led economic growth has played a key role. While technology can be considered a logical extension of knowledge gained from Science, it is much more than mere application of Science. Technology is contextual. There is an economic value to technology. We all are a witness to the transformational changes being brought about by mobile telephony and internet. The number of mobile (1120) phone users in India was around 19 crore in October 2012 which is the second highest in the world after China. The mobile phone density of 74.21 per cent of India compares favourably with the other top-ranking countries. The internet, another marvel of technology, has become a vital source of information and communication. India ranks third after China and the USA in terms of number of internet users. However, the penetration of internet use as the percentage of the population is only 11.4 indicating the huge potential for future growth.

Another transformational application of technology is Aadhaar project which focuses on electronic transfer of benefits directly to the beneficiaries of various social sector schemes. I understand the roll-out of Aadhaar-enabled service delivery has already started in twenty districts. In the Budget 2012-13, a target for covering fifty districts (1260) has been set which, I am sure, will be met. It is essential to innovate if we have to compete (1280) in a globalised economy. India has declared 2010-20 as the decade of innovation. The announcement of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy today lays the roadmap for the development of an eco-system for innovations and for encouraging, recognizing and rewarding the innovators in the society, especially the grassroot innovators who through their genius are adding value to the processes which directly impact the local population. The new STI policy has also addressed the issue of rightsizing our research and development system. Balanced economic growth, especially in emerging economies like India, is of paramount importance. Productive engagement of our youth in agriculture, manufacturing and value-based services holds the key for a balanced growth of the country. The new STI Policy, (1400) I am confident, will pave the technology-led path for change ensuring prosperity with peace and inclusiveness.

We need an educational system which lays importance on development of a scientific culture within the society. Mere economic growth without the attendant (1440) knowledge capacity to manage the dimensions of change would neither suffice nor be appropriate. Our ancient universities, whether these be Nalanda or Taxila, focused on value based holistic education. Perhaps it is appropriate to quote from an address of Rabindranath Tagore delivered ninety years ago : “You know the traditions of our country are never to accept any material fees from the students in return for teaching, because we consider in India that one who has knowledge has the responsibility to impart it to the students.” Swami Vivekananda always spoke of fusion of cultural values of the orient with practical methods of the occident. Innovation is a modern means of converting knowledge into social value and wealth. Indian philosophy seeks to balance the pursuit of wealth and material success with the mastery of the self and the quest of inner happiness. The deeply introspective, yet practical wisdom of Indian philosophy must find resonance in the metaphor of competition and conquest (1600) popularized in the modern world.

You can find this exercise on YouTube by following the links given below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwzzaipaZgA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDluU6Q_ubA

Dictation Exercise 5

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you to share my thoughts and exchange my views on ‘Rejuvenating Democracy, giving voice to youth’, a subject of utmost relevance in the current global scenario. Youth are harbingers of change. Today’s generation of young people is the largest the world has ever known. Every second person alive today is below the age of thirty and around ninety percent of young people are living in developing countries mainly in Asia and Africa. The challenge of creating enough jobs and opportunities for the global youth population is the major challenge world faces today. We all recognize that democracy is a dynamic system of organizing societies and governing communities. Therefore, it has to rejuvenate itself periodically to tackle the challenges of change by absorbing new ideas (140) and understanding new needs.

                                                          

One obvious section of society whose involvement in public life needs to be encouraged in the (160) interests of democracy is the youth to whom the future belongs. With youth comes energy, vigour, innovation and optimism. These lay the ground for major positive contributions by youth for a rich demographic dividend for nations and our world. The wisdom of the old and the vigour of the youth must be blended for the benefit of deepening democracy in society. Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Ho Chi Minh, Nelson Mandela and Dr. Kenneth Kaunda in their youth and subsequently also successfully channelized the energy of youth to strengthen the roots of democracy in their respective countries.

In the demographic profile of any country, youth are always a great asset and at the same time, we must recognize that they (280) also face various problems. We need to engage them productively and mainstream them in the task of nation building. When the system can channelize their energies in the proper direction, it strengthens development, democratic fabric and promotes social harmony.  (320) If their youthful energy is not used properly, it may get misdirected to terror or other activities which are detrimental to the larger interests of society. To strengthen the democratic process and make it inclusive, meaningful and sustainable it is imperative that the youth should get a rightful say in decision making.

The question that is often raised is about the factors that make the youth stay away from public life. Analysts have identified four levels of space that dominate the thinking of the youth. The first space is for the family, the second space is for career, third is for (420) lifestyle and fourth is for friends. There is a need to create a fifth space from 'self to society' by inculcating an interest in the mainstream social processes. In Indian philosophy we talk about divine journey from vyashti (individual) to samashti (cosmic) and then to the absolute. Vyashti vision addresses concerns of an individual, while samashti vision stands for compassion (480) and welfare of all. It should be a sincere endeavor of everyone to expand his or her vision so as to embrace more & more people.

It is, however, true that opportunities for youth to engage in effective participation in the democratic process or governance are not easily available. Electoral politics has become highly competitive and a costly avocation, thereby shrinking the space for the youth. The lack of a formal platform to express themselves can lead to their marginalization. (560) That should not be allowed to happen. It is possible to create a non-electoral space within the democratic processes to involve the youth and their perception of politics needs to be understood to create effective space for them in public life. In India, we have brought down the minimum age for voting from 21 to 18 years resulting in youth participation in large numbers in the democratic process. The advent of the social media, has been a boon in this context. (640) It has become a dominant force which is used by the youth, to convey their opinions and share their thoughts and ideas on contemporary issues.

Today, India is a young nation with about 27.5% of its population being in the age group of 15-29 years.  In the next twenty years, these figures are going to increase and therefore, it (700) is necessary to make them an active part of the political and developmental process. In this regard, various initiatives have been taken to involve the youth in community development.  The Department of Youth Affairs was specifically created to formulate policies for the youth, give them support and channelize their energies into creative endeavors.  The National Young Leader Program was launched with the objective of developing leadership qualities and service motive among the youth. The present Government has launched path-breaking initiatives that is Skill India to train people in different skills  and  Start up India to boost youth entrepreneurship and encourage (800) job creation The National Youth Policy was re-launched in 2014 in our country with one of its priority areas being ‘Participation of youth in politics and governance’. This initiative seeks to create future leaders from grass-root to the national level. (840)

India celebrates the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, the great Indian reformer as the National Youth Day on 12th January. Swami Vivekananda had immense faith in the youth and asked them to Arise and Awake from inactivity and emphasized on self-belief. While talking about youth he said and I quote: “What we want is vigor in the blood, strength in the nerves, iron muscles and nerves of steel.”

The present day youth needs opportunities to be seen and heard.   Greater participation of youth will infuse a new vigor and energy into the system.  Thus, there is a need to expand the fifth space (960) that I have referred to earlier, to bring about a paradigm shift from 'self to society' to rejuvenate the democratic system. Supreme value of youth period is the most precious. Young age is the best time. The way in which (980) you utilize this period will decide the nature of coming years that lie ahead of you. As they say that “the best way to predict future is to create it.” It is our sincere hope that the youth will find greater political development space in the years to come and have their rightful say in shaping the destiny of the nations all over the world. (1045)