In an apparent reference to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday wondered why some people decry Indian democracy both within and outside the country.

Describing India as the Mother of Democracy and the world’s most vibrant democracy, he also underlined that freedom of expression has not been subjected to any enforced silence in India.

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Dhankhar was apparently referring to certain comments made by Rahul on Indian democracy during his recent visit to the UK.

Calling Parliament as the temple of democracy, he emphasised that it was a platform where issues of public interests were debated, deliberated, discussed and decided, but its prolonged disruptions undermined the esteem and confidence that people repose in their representative institutions.

Therefore, the vice-president called for generating an ecosystem so that Indian parliamentarians respond positively to the spirit and essence of the founding fathers of the constitution.

Addressing the 21st convocation of Dibrugarh University in Assam, he underlined that education was the most effective and transformative mechanism to bring about equity, equality and progress in society. “Nothing can change societal conditions more than people getting educated,” he said.

The vice president urged the students to be “agents of change” and work for bringing about positive changes in society. “You are makers and warriors of Bharat in 2047 when the nation will celebrate the centenary of its independence,” he told them.

Describing competition as the best Guru, and fear as the worst enemy, Dhankhar asked the students to dream big and never take stress. “Have a dream but do not be just a dreamer, be a doer,” he told them.

Praising the eight North-Eastern States as the “Ashta Laxmis” of India, he said that without their growth and contribution, India’s growth will remain incomplete. He also commended Dibrugarh University for its work toward preserving the linguistic diversity and literary traditions of the region. ”Preserving our languages is very important as they have evolved over thousands of years,” he said.

Expressing happiness over the inclusion of the North East in India’s mainstream narrative in Amrit Kaal, the vice president praised NCERT and the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) for highlighting the contribution of unsung heroes of the North East in history and the freedom struggle.