Rajnath Singh urges students at Visva Bharati to adopt ideals, values of Tagore

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (File photo)

Describing Visva Bharati as a ”temple of learning”, where India meets the world, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged the students of the institute to be a humanist like its founder Rabindranath Tagore, ”whose thoughts and philosophy continue to influence Indian society”.

Singh, who presided over the annual convocation ceremony of the central university as its chief guest, also said that Bengal has ”two centres of pilgrimage — one Ganga Sagar and the other Visva Bharati”.

Addressing students and faculty members, he said, ”Tagore had shown us that our nationalism cannot be territorial; it should be based on our pluralistic culture. He founded this place for inculcating values of humanism in children.

”Indian Nationalism is all-inclusive, inspired by universal welfare. Visva-Bharati is an indicator of this sentiment,” the minister stated.He called upon youth to innovate, set up new companies, research establishments and start-ups to provide a new acceleration to the government’s efforts towards making India a more powerful and self-reliant nation.

The ability to move forward in a balanced manner without getting distracted is the key to success, he said, urging the students to not let ego or arrogance come in their way.”Character building, knowledge and wealth should be given equal weightage. The stronger you are, the stronger our country will be,” Singh said.

The minister stressed that the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will lead to holistic development of young minds.”A child’s future depends on his upbringing. Tagore’s Visva Bharati shows us how this path should be — free from the confines of prison like rooms, in the lap of nature.

”Whatever you become in life — scientist, engineer, reformist, social scientist or artist — you should embody the values espoused by Gurudev,” he maintained.Recalling the words of social reformer Gopal Krishna Gokhale — ”what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow” — Singh said, ”The state needs reawakening in sectors like science and technology, to lead the nation.”

Singh also noted that Tagore believed in bringing about transformation through social reforms and by way of women empowerment.India is following the ’marg darshan’ of the 'great humanist' as it moves ahead, he maintained.

”Gurudev embodied Indian nationalism; he was the one who had given back the knighthood honour conferred on him by British rulers after the Jallianwala bagh massacre.”He was also in favour of modern industrial revolution, which entailed that science and technology sector go hand in hand,” the Union minister added.

Union minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar, who was also present at the ceremony, noted that the NEP, 2020 emphasises the need to create futuristic knowledge system, based on the rich cultural system of ancient India. Vice Chancellor Vidyut Chakraborty, on the occasion, said that Tagore’s ideals and vision are integral to the day-to-day functioning of Visva Bharati.