Religion, love for one’s mother tongue, the benefits of hard work — students of Panjab University got a chance to hear the Vice-President’s opinions on a number of important issues, Hindutva being an important one.
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Special mention
Hindu is not a religion but a way of life,he said. “If Hindu is a religion, why is there a Hindu newspaper? Is Hindustan or Hindustan Times just a paper for Hindus?” he asked.
Hard work never hurt anyone
Naidu also touched upon his life and that of former late Dr Abdul Kalam and Narendra Modi. A newspaper seller can become a president and a chaiwalla a prime minister - all because of hard work. “I belonged to an agriculture family. I used to walk for 3 km to school and when I returned home, there used to be no electricity. But I did not look back. See where I have reached - vice president of India,” Naidu said.
What’s this mummy and daddy?
{{/usCountry}}What’s this mummy and daddy?
{{/usCountry}}Clarifying that he was not against any language, Naidu urged students to practice their mother tongue at home. “I believe that all states should make their mother tongue mandatory for all. Students must master their mother tongue.” Children should address their mothers as ‘amma’ instead of mummy. “What is this mummy and daddy?” he asked.
Yoga makes you yogi, not rogi
“Children need to be exposed to nature, culture and future,” he said. Wealth doesn’t promise health. “The exercises we used to do at our times is missing. Only exercise is that we are working, working and working. Someone asked me, ‘What is yoga?’ I said, ‘Yoga makes you yogi and not rogi’. Rogi means patient. Because of exercise, Milkha Singh is here at this age. We need to revisit our curriculum with good amount of field exercises.”
Learn, earn and return
To those planning to go abroad for studies, he said “ There’s no need to go abroad for studies. Everything is available here. If you want to go, then go but learn, earn and return.”