Stressing the need for women’s empowerment, former president APJ Abdul Kalam has said empowering women is a prerequisite for creating a good society and nation.
Delivering the Durgabai Deshmukh memorial lecture as part of Andhra Mahila Sabha’s platinum jubilee celebrations here on Tuesday, Kalam said that when women were empowered, a society with stability was assured. “Empowerment of women leads to development of a good family, good society and, ultimately, a good nation. When the woman is happy, the home is happy. When the home is happy, the society is happy and when the society is happy the state is happy and when the state is happy there will be peace in the country and it will develop at greater pace.”
He said the three key societal members who can make a difference in one’s life are the father, the mother and the teacher. “Parents and teachers must, therefore, have an integrated mission for the overall development of the child.
Schools must provide mission-oriented learning with value system to the child. The right kind of education based on moral values will upgrade the society and the country. Good traits in a person come when righteousness is in the heart. Righteousness should be in the family, education, society, business, civil administration, politics, government and law & order. Only then will unity, prosperity and peace prevail in the society.”
He said corruption was an assault on the conscience and hence everyone should fight against it and children should question their parents on the source of income.
The former president appreciated the work being done by Andhra Mahila Sabha for the uplift of women, especially in the field of education. He donated a few books to the college library and released the platinum jubilee souvenir.
Andhra Mahila Sabha president K Lakshmi said the organisation, in order to carry on the legacy of its founder and freedom fighter Durgabai Deshmukh, launched Durga Seva Sravanti project. Besides, a mobile diagnostic lab, a knowledge centre and a research centre would be started, she announced.