Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday expressed concern over the current trend of disturbance and disruption in Parliament when the country’s Constituent Assembly, dealing with much more contentious issues, resolved them through dialogue and discussion.
He was addressing a gathering of students and teachers of his alma mater, Sainik School, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
The Vice-President said the Constituent Assembly met for three years and compared with today’s problems, faced issues which were far more divisive and contentious. It found solutions through talks only.
In a democratic set-up, Parliament and legislature are meant for dialogue, debate, deliberation, and discussions. There was no disturbance even for a moment in the Constituent Assembly, he said.
The Vice President said today’s scenario is a matter of concern, and needs consideration. He told the students that if they did not show compatibility and observe discipline in school, everything would crumble.
Dhankhar told the students to keep national interest above everything else. “This is not optional but this is the only way,” he said.
“We cannot compromise our national interest. We must always be proud Indians and must take pride in our historic phenomenal achievements,” he said.
Times have changed, he said. It was considered one should have rich background to be a businessman. Today, young boys and girls are launching their own start-ups and turning billionaires. The maximum unicorns have come out of them, he said.
He said Indians are good in picking up skills and technology. Otherwise, 220 crore Covid vaccination certificates would not have been issued in the country, he said. If villagers in India did not understand technology, how would they have received economic assistance thrice in a year directly, he said.
There was a time power brokers controlled the power corridors, he said. A big change has come in the country. “There is zero accommodation for corruption. Power corridors have been sanitized of those who extra legally leveraged governmental decisions. This is a big change,” he said.
This is not an achievement of the Government or the system alone; every Indian has contributed to this.
“I appeal to the youth to be very discerning and judgmental, consider everything and take a stance,” he said. Mr Dhankhar said he would share his thought with his alma mater that today, everyone has to follow law, be within the law’s ambit; howsoever high a person’s background might be, he has to work within the limits of law.
“The tendency to take to streets to secure justice without availing justice as prescribed by law will lead to anarchy; our judicial system is very robust,” he said. There was no reason to lose faith in the country’s institutions. None can be given the right to assault the institutions “like a loose cannon,” and “try to taint and run down their credibility.”
“I don’t say everything is right, certainly there are things which require change. But there is a platform available to take up such issues,” the Vice President said.
Mr Dhankhar told the students that he was honoured to have two of his distinguished teachers, Mr Rathee and Mr Dwivedi, present in the school gathering.
He recalled “trust me, they were very tough. When Mr Dwivedi used to walk in the corridors, discipline was magnetic and contagious. Mr Rathee has not compromised over decades, he has a great sense of dress at this age also. He could be a role model for any young boy these days.”
He told the students not to fear failure. “Don’t fear failure. Fear of failure is the greatest disease that can destroy humanity,” he said. Nobody succeeds in the first attempt. When Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, there had been many attempts earlier.
Now Chandrayaan-3 is moving towards the Moon. When Chandrayaan-2 could not soft-land on the Moon, there were 500 boys and girls with him, and there was total silence. “I told them cheer up! Ninety-five per cent success has been achieved; just five per cent remains,” he recalled.