Chennai: On his maiden visit to Chennai after becoming Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday evening that despite seven decades of independence the nation is still battling with “demons” of corruption, poverty, illiteracy, atrocities against women and other challenges. The need of the hour is for the people to understand these challenges and fight the evils together.
Quoting from Gandhiji’s Quit India speech (Aug. 8, 1942) that “in the democracy which I have envisaged, a democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once you realise this you will forget the differences between Hindus and Muslims and think of yourselves as Indians only engaged in the common struggle for independence,” Venkaiah said this was still relevant.
Jayalalitha
‘I Miss Madam Jayalalithaa’
Venkaiah who turned emotional, said that he missed late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa during his Chennai visit. “When I have come to Tamil Nadu for the first time as Vice President of India, I miss one wonderful, charismatic and most popular political leader of this state: Madam Jayalalithaa. I miss her. Really, I miss her,” he said. Earlier, upon his arrival, he was given a warm reception by Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, BJP State unit chief Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and Rajya Sabha MP L. Ganesan. The Governor presented a copy of the Telugu version of “Tirukkural” to Mr Venkaiah who later went to the Raj Bhavan here and visited the recently unveiled statues of Tamil saint poet Tiruvalluvar and poetess Avaiyyar on the premises. Governor, fisheries minister
D. Jayakumar and top officials accompanied him.
The time has come for every citizen to display similar missionary zeal to establish a new India in the next five years— an India, which is free of black money, corruption, poverty, casteism, communalism, terrorism, illiteracy and gender discrimination, he said.
As these challenges have crept into the system, the historic occasion of the 75th anniversary of Quit India, is an appropriate time for Indians to think of the sacrifices made by the people for independence; and resolve the crisis together, he said and urged the people to rededicate themselves for the unity and integrity of the country.
Inaugurating the exhibition “New India – resolve to achieve” organised by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to mark 75 years of the Quit India movement at Anna University here on Sunday evening, Venkaiah said there was no place for violence in a democratic society and that it must be curbed. He said people should have to stand united against terrorism in any form. Describing the Supreme Court verdict on ‘triple talaq’ as “historic one” he said it would go a long way in ending gender discrimination.
