Interaction With The Students Of Pondicherry, Pondicherry

Evolution of Enlightened Citizens

I am happy to interact with the students of Pondicherry. My greetings to all educationists, teachers, students, other participants and distinguished guests on this occasion.

Dear Children, you are all in the mission of learning. What will learning give?

?When learning is purposeful, creativity blossoms.

When the creativity blossoms, thinking emanates.

When thinking emanates, knowledge is fully lit.

When knowledge is lit, economy flourishes.?

In the dimensions of knowledge, we can see the scientific, technological history coupled with human endeavours.

What we have seen in science and technology in the last 60 years, the predictions and happenings are going at different rates and phases. What was impossible has happened and what is thought possible has not yet happened and it will happen. Particularly in the field of aeronautics, space technology, electronics, materials, computer science and software products, the world has progressed to new dimensions and India itself is a part of these challenges. Indian bio-technologists with business houses will have opportunity of analyzing the available genomic data and lead to production of drugs for healthcare and early treatment. The bioresearch transforming into technology will lead to higher production of agricultural products.

In the coming decades, we may see the birth of unified field theory integrating gravitational forces, electro magnetic forces and general relativity theory, space and time as functions. Young people may also see in their time establishment of habitat or industry in one of our planets or moon by human race. The world may also enter into launch of solar power satellites through reusable launch vehicle (Hyper plane) system for electricity needs, as fossil based fuels would become rare in fifty to hundred years. These are possible only through creative minds.

On the successful completion of Moon Mission in 1969, Von Braun, a very famous rocket designer, who built Saturn-V, to launch the capsule with astronauts and made moon walk a reality, in 1975 said ?If I am authorized, I will remove the word impossible?.

In ancient days, Ptolemaic astronomy is a widely used system in calculating the dynamics of various stars and planets. Assumption by then was that the earth is flat. What a scientific struggle had to take place to prove that the earth is spherical in shape orbiting around the sun. The three great astronomers Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler had to give a new dimension to the world of astronomy. Today we take it for granted that earth is a globe, orbiting around the sun, and the sun orbits in the Milky Way. All the technological advancements we have today are the outcome of scientific exploration of scientists of earlier centuries. At no time, man was beaten by problems. He strives continuously to subjugate impossibility and then succeeds.

Impossibility to Possibility

Human flight is nothing but creativity of human mind and it undergoes several struggles to achieve excellence. In 1890, a great well-known scientist Lord Kelvin, who was the President of the Royal Society of London said, ?any thing heavier than air cannot fly, and cannot be flown.? Within two decades, the Wright Brothers proved man could fly, of course at great risk and cost.

Mission of Education

Education is the most important element for growth and prosperity of a nation. India is in the process of transforming itself into a developed nation by 2020. Yet we have 350 million people who need literacy and many more that have to acquire employable skills to suit the emerging modern India and the globe.

The Role of Parents

Parents have an important role in the education of the children and making them enlightened citizens. They must be aware of the need for good education of the child, male or female. Like teachers, parents also should set an example for the child in their overall behaviour and conduct. This will enable the child to develop love and respect for their parents and see them as role models.

Education with value system

The best part for a person is his or her learning period in childhood at School. The prime learning period is 6th to 17th year of age. Hence, the school hours for children are the best time for learning, and need the best environment and mission oriented learning with value based educational system. This reminds me the echo from Bestolozzy, a great teacher's saying, "Give me a child for seven years, afterwards, let the God or devil take the child, they cannot change the child." That is indeed the power of the teacher.

For parents and teachers, school campus and home have to have an integrated mission. During this period it is essential to have a one-hour class every week to discuss about good human beings present and past and what makes them a good human being. This class can be called as ?Elevating young minds?. As an example this class can discuss the personalities such as Buddha, Confucius, St. Augustine, Kalifa Omar, Mahatma Gandhi, Einstein, Abraham Lincoln including some scientific personalities and moral stories linked to our civilizational heritage.

Twelve-year value-based education of 25,000 hours in the school campus is essential to establish an open and transparent society or a society with integrity. Up to the age of 17 years, the father, the mother and the teacher lead a child to become an enlightened citizen.

Conclusion: Magnanimity in Victory

I would like to share with you one of my experiences which I had during my recent visit to South Africa. I met a great personality during my visit abroad in September 2004 who was responsible for the freedom of South Africa. He is none other than Dr. Nelson Mandela. Particularly for the young people, you can learn two big lessons from this personality. They are indomitable spirit and virtue of forgiveness.

Cape Town is famous for its Table Mountain; it has got three peaks called Table Peak, Devil Peak, and Fake Peak. Between the peaks it was a beautiful sight throughout the day, sometimes dark clouds and sometimes white clouds embracing the peaks. Table Mountain is very close to the sea coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We flew by helicopter to Robben Island from Cape Town in 10 minutes. It will take 30 minutes by powered boat to reach the Robben Island. When we reached the Island, except for sea roaring, the whole island was silent symbolizing the thought: this is the place the freedom of individuals was chained. We were received at the Island by Mr. Ahmed Kathrada, a South African, who was a co-prisoner with Dr. Nelson Mandela. What surprised me was Dr. Nelson Mandela was kept in a tiny room where sleeping and all human needs had to be fulfilled. Even the sound of sea waves can not penetrate the prison cell. It has to be remembered that Dr. Nelson Mandela, who was 6 feet tall was imprisoned in that room for 26 years ? fighting against the apartheid. The major part of his life was spent in this silent Island. He used to be taken for quarrying in the nearby mountain for a few hours in bright sun. This is the time his sight got affected. In spite of his body being tortured, he revealed to the world his indomitable spirit. This is the time he evolved a manuscript of freedom movement in tiny letters every day, when the jail wardens went to sleep. This small tiny lettered manuscript finally became the famous book of Mandela ?A long walk to freedom?.

It was a great event for me to meet him in his house in Johannesburg. Dear friends, I would like to share with you, when I entered Dr. Nelson Mandela?s house, I saw his three dimensional form with cheerfulness. Cheerfulness filled the whole atmosphere. This mighty man got the freedom for South Africa in 1994 from the tyranny of apartheid. Dr. Mandela, when he became the President of South Africa, gave those people who practiced apartheid, ill-treated and put him in the jail for 26 years, the freedom to move and freedom to live in South Africa as equal citizens. I felt that I was touching the hand of a Mighty Soul. When he started walking, he used to have a walking stick. He discarded the walking stick and I became his support, his walking stick, a gesture which I liked. Dear friends, a big lesson that we learn from this personality Dr. Nelson Mandela is characterised in one of the Thirukkurals written 2200 years before.

which means: ??for those who do ill to you, the best response is to return good to them?.?

I wish you all success in your career.

May God Bless you

Questions and Answers Session

1. India got only one silver medal even though it has a population of hundred and two crore people. What is the plan to change this situation?

- P. Varun, 10th Class, Govt. Higher Secondary School.

Ans. We have to pick up the young talent at the age four or five and nurture them towards sports career if they have an aptitude and interest. Also, it is essential to assure the sports man that they will definitely have a prime career in sports. This will enable them to concentrate fully for attaining excellence in sports.

2. It is fifty seven years since India attained independence. Why rivers are not nationalized?

- A. Dhanasekhar, 10th Class, Govt.. Higher Secondary School.

Ans. When India attained Independence, its founders decided that some subjects would be responsibility of State and some of the Central Government. Water was and continues to be a State subject. World over, rapid population growth and climatic change is resulting in water scarcity in all regions. India is no exception.

The need for co-operation and fair distribution of river water between the States has become a real challenge for our ccountry. One suggestion among many is to nationalize the river water distribution, in which case all the States have to agree to change the Constitution to make river water a Central subject.

3. India wants peace. At the same time is it right to have nuclear weapons also. What is your opinion about this?

- R. Barathi, 10th Class, Govt. Higher Secondary School.

Ans. For maintaining peace we have to be strong. All that we are doing is to create capability. Our policy is that of ?no first use?.

4. What is your advice to the students to make India as a corruption free nation?

- N. Selvamathy, 8th Class, Govt. Higher Secondary School.

Ans. I have been suggesting a movement by the young to change the elders in each family through love and affection. When their own children suggests them a right path they are bound to follow.

5. Sir, which is the easy way to convert seawater into potable water?

- C. Pushpa, 9th Class, Govt. Higher Secondary School.

Ans. The best way to convert seawater into potable water is one which consumes the least amount of energy. With India being blessed with a large amount of renewable energy resources like sun light, wind power, bio-fuels etc, it is natural that the best way for India is to use desalination plants operated by renewable energy resources.

6. Our poet says there is no caste or community in the society. But, in day-to-day life wherever we go we have to mention these things. Why this? How to find out a solution for this?

- Miss. K. Bindhu, Pondicherry Institute of Hotel Management and Catering.

Ans. A borderless society with no divisions of caste and community can arise from borderless minds. It has taken centuries for our society to evolve into the present structure of caste and community. Love, patience, good laws and fair justice are the best instruments for our society to transform itself into a borderless community where ?hands that serve are better than lips that pray?

7. Children education are affected in Pondicherry because the illiterate parents addicted to liquor. Can you find a solution for this?

- T. Vellimalar, 10th Class, Govt. Higher Secondary School.

Ans. I have suggested, in my Republic Day address, a oath for the students to create a movement to visit our urban areas and villages and transform the people from addiction to alcohol and gambling.

8. In India education is being privatized. In this case only rich people are having chances to get higher education. Are you supporting the education is being privatized?

- Mullaivendan, 10th Class, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Higher Secondary School.

Ans. In India education is being run by the Government and also by some private institutions. For large investment in education this has become essential. Government has relaxed the norms of providing education loan so that poor meritorious students are not deprived of higher education.

9. How can we get rid of the regional bias in the minds of the people of different states?

- S. Swathy, Udavi Gentillesse Matriculation School, Auroville, Pondicherry.

Ans. We should all feel that we all belong to one nation with a common mission to make the country developed. Our association with the States comes next always and every time.

10. How to inculcate patriotism in the minds of youngsters?

- V. Kausalya, Amalorpavam Hr. Secondary School, Pondicherry.

Ans. I would like to recall my student days in St. Joseph?s College, Trichy. We used to have a moral science class taught by Rev Father Rector. He was the highest in the hierarchy of the Jesuit system. He used to teach us one hour every week about great spiritual leaders, religious leaders, renowned scientists and above all good human beings in the society. I am convinced that what I learnt in that class of moral science stands by me even today. Introduction of such courses called ?Elevating Young Minds? in the schools and colleges at least once in a week and discuss the great personalities from Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other religions. In addition, it can include the discussion on great human beings such as Confucius, Buddha, St. Augustine, Kalifa Omar, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Einstein, Abraham Lincoln and moral stories linked to our civilizational heritage. These classes can definitely inject the patriotism among the students.