Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said here on Sunday that the youngsters can make parliamentarians and public representatives discharge their constitutional duties. Addressing the 4th convocation ceremony of the Masters’ Union in Gurugram, he highlighted the role of youngsters in making democracy effective while emphasising the duties of the parliamentarians and public representatives under a vibrant democracy.

“You remind me of the Constituent Assembly, because for two years, 11 months and a few days, over 18 sessions dealt with contentious , divisive and difficult issues. Consensus was not easy, but they believed in debate, dialogue, deliberations and discussion. They never engaged in disruption and disturbance,” Dhankhar said.

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He said he feels the absence of a parliamentary environment. “But, I am sure our youngsters have the command now by virtue of social media to make it compulsive for our parliamentarians and representatives of the people, that they must live up to their oath. They must discharge their constitutional ordainment.

They must acquit on the anvil of their obligations,” the VP contended. Underlining the potential of the nation’s bureaucracy, Dhankhar said the greatest advantage Bharat, home to one-sixth of humanity, has is its bureaucracy.

He said India has the finest human resources, bureaucracy, that can bring about any transformation if led by the right executive in the right frame, an executive that facilitates and does not obstruct.”

Calling the youths the most impactful stakeholders of governance, the VP said, “You are the engines of growth. If Bharat has to be a Viksit nation, of Viksit Bharat by 2047.The challenge is daunting. We are already the fifth largest global economy…..but income has to rise eightfold. That’s a big challenge.”

Referring to the economic growth over the decade and the rise in the expectations of the people, he said, “ People have tasted growth over 10 years. 500 million people getting into banking inclusion, 170 million getting gas collections, 120 million households getting toilets. Now their thirst is more. Their expectations are on the rise, not in arithmetic form, but in geometric form.” The VP stated the country has changed so much that we had never imagined, dreamed of, thought.

Pointing out that India has become an example for the world today, Dhankhar said, “No nation in the world has grown as fast as stable as Bharat in the last decade. Now people’s expectations are very high.

Those expectations have to be satisfied. You have to think out of the box.” Calling upon the youngsters to believe in themselves, he said, “Believe in yourself. No living mortal is entitled to your respect unless you see virtue in them. The urge to be a sycophant or a hypocrite must never be there. Always listen to the other point of view. Don’t be judgmental, thinking that you alone are right. Maybe you need a correction. Maybe the other point of view will enlighten you about what can happen”.