Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said expression and dialogue must go hand in hand for any democratic nation to succeed.

“Expression and dialogue define democracy. How democratic a nation is defined by the state of expression of its individuals and organisations. For any democracy to succeed, expression and dialogue must go hand in hand with great responsibility on both sides,” Dhankhar said while addressing the awardees of the Chaudhary Charan Singh Awards 2024 here on Sunday.

Advertisement

He called for accountability among parliamentarians. “It is time for every thinking Indian to reflect deeply and hold those with obligations accountable – especially parliamentarians. In the last quarter of the century of our independence and adoption of the Indian Constitution, the kind of spectacle I witnessed should be a cause of concern. Yet, there seems to be no concern. People have learned to take disorder as an order. There is no sense of revulsion,” the Vice-President said.

On the occasion, the Vice-President gave away the Chaudhary Charan Singh Awards 2024, honouring outstanding achievements in agriculture, rural development, and journalism. The Chaudhary Charan Singh Awards 2024 celebrated remarkable contributions to agriculture, rural development, and journalism. The Kalam Ratna Award was presented to Ms. Neerja Chowdhury for her dedication to insightful journalism. The Sewa Ratna Award was conferred upon Dr. Rajendra Singh, the “Waterman of India”, for his pioneering efforts in water conservation. The Krishak Utthan Award went to Dr. Firoz Hossain for advancing agricultural research and innovation. Lastly, the Kisan Award was bestowed upon Mr. Pritam Singh for his contributions to agricultural excellence.

Jayant Chaudhary, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. Speaking at the event, Dhankhar lauded the extraordinary legacy of Chaudhary Charan Singh, emphasising his relentless dedication to rural development, farmers’ welfare, and inclusive growth. “Chaudhary Charan Singh was one of the finest persons in the country. A person who encapsulates transparency, accountability, integrity, commitment to rural development, commitment to farmer, and was all throughout fearless in expression of his views,” the Vice-President said.

Reflecting on his leadership, Dhankhar said, “Chaudhary Charan Singh is defined by sublimity, statesmanship, farsightedness, and growth that is inclusive. No wonder he became the first Chief Minister of the largest state of the Republic of India, and then Prime Minister.”

Regretting the lack of recognition of Chaudhary Charan Singh’s contributions, the Vice-President said, “It pains the heart when people are short-sighted in assessing the great contributions of this man. His astounding qualities, his deep dedication, and his knowledge of rural India are subjects of reflection for enlightened individuals worldwide. A son of the soil, he was mindful not just of rural India but urban India as well, with a vision aligned with our civilisational ethos.”

He said, “Agriculture is the spine of rural development. Unless agriculture develops, the rural landscape cannot be changed. And unless the rural landscape changes, we cannot aspire to have a developed nation.”

Dwelling on India’s economic trajectory, Dhankhar added, “Undoubtedly, at the moment, India is on the rise as never before. Indisputably, our economy is blossoming. We are the fifth largest globally and on track to becoming the third largest, ahead of Japan and Germany. But to be a developed nation by 2047, our income must increase eightfold—a daunting challenge.”

Addressing this challenge, the Vice-President stressed the need for strengthening the village economy. “Village economy can look up only when the farmer and their family are involved in marketing, value addition, and generating clusters all around, leading to self-sufficiency. The greatest market we have is agricultural produce, yet farming communities are hardly involved with it. The farming sector must be prioritised by governments for it to become an engine of economic development,” he said.