CHANDIGARH: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday cautioned youth against falling prey to the terror designs of global fundamentalist forces, while addressing the 30th Convocation of Kurukshetra University in Haryana.
The ancient Indian ethos is based on universalism and brotherhood, and must be retained for modern society's development. Differentiating between youth working in IT giant Infosys and terror outfit Al-Qaeda, he said while one was working for the interest of society, the other was working for its destruction.
Rajnath Singh quoted Thomas L. Friedman, who has, in his book ‘The World is Flat’, compared Infosys with al-Qaeda. Friedman says "Infosys has a global network, and so does al-Qaeda. The youth are in Infosys as well as al-Qaeda, but both have extremely talented youth. The difference lies only in their thinking. One believes in creative thinking while the other believes in destructive thinking.”
Rajnath Singh told the students that the ultimate aim of education should not be to just get a job and make a living, but maintaining values. Convocation connotes completion of study for a degree, but not the completion of education, which is a lifelong process, he said.
Singh said India’s contribution had been acknowledged worldwide for yoga, ayurveda, organic farming and other fields of science. In the Indian context, convocation purports qualification of an individual to serve society through knowledge and skills imbibed through education.
The world remembers people for their values and their service to the society, and not for their wealth, might or even knowledge, he added.
India aspires to be a ‘vishwa guru’, and not a super-power, because a nation becomes a super-power by might, dominance and even coercion, and nations come to it because of fear. As a 'vishwa guru’, people would look up to India for their well being.
Today’s youth have a great role to play in making India a ‘vishwa guru’’, he said and called upon them to draw inspiration from the rich heritage and feel proud of belonging to a great nation.
Singh, who was honoured with Doctorate of Science, honoris causa; a degree awarded without examination, clarified he deserved it as a student of science and not as a politician.