NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has urged all the universities in the country to organise a lecture on the theme, ‘India: Mother of Democracy’, on November 26 on the occasion of Constitution Day. UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar has written to the governors of all states in this regard.
According to Kumar, the lecture series will help the young generation understand the values and outcomes of a democratic system of governance to make India’s democracy more modern and empowered. “India is a diverse nation with different religions, languages, cultures, etc. But a common denominator connects all Indians: the democratic value,” Kumar’s letter to Tamil Nadu Governor Ravindra Narayan Ravi, accessed by this newspaper, said.
The Indian democracy, which is marching ahead in its 75th year on the strengths of inclusiveness and diversity, is not only the world’s largest democracy but also the mother of democracy, the letter stated. “I request you to kindly encourage all universities in the state to organise lectures on November 26 on the above-given theme and celebrate Indian democracy,” Kumar said.
The democratic system in India has evolved over the ages, the letter said, adding that there is ample evidence, right from the Vedic period, that emphasises the following the democratic traditions in India. “Recent archaeological excavation at Rakhigarhi and Sanauli reveals that the roots of people’s self-governance date back to at least 5000 BCE,” Kumar said. “There is more evidence in the form of archaeological, literary, numismatic, epigraphical, bhakti, and so on, to emphasise the Loktantrik traditions of Bharat.”
The UGC, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Historical Research, is also planning to organise special lectures in 90 universities, including 45 central universities and 45 deemed-to-be universities across the country, until November 30.
The lectures will also be a part of a book on Bharat: Loktantra Ki Janani, a compilation of 30 chapters contributed by 30 well-known authors on various themes related to the subject, ranging from ancient Indian history to different regions and religions of the country.
According to an ICHR, “India, to the great surprise of the world with all its multiple pluralities, is today the world’s largest successful working democracy, because Indian people, infused with the spirit of equality, have had since the very Vedic times a Loktantrik-parampara.”