‘On Children’s Day, Govt. announces statewide competition on life, achievements of Nehru, Azad
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar/Jammu : Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today paid glowing tributes to the first Prime Minister of the country, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on his birthday, saying that he laid a strong foundation for democratic, secular and modern India. He asked the children of Jammu & Kashmir to emulate the late leader and hoped that the talented young generation of the State would throw up some great minds like him in the future.
The Chief Minister was addressing unprecedented gatherings on Pt. Nehru’s birthday, observed as the Children’s Day throughout the country, held separately at M. A. Stadium, Jammu and SKICC, Srinagar in which tens of thousands of school children from across the two divisions participated.
Azad announced that on the pattern of Gandhi Jayanti, State level debating contests would be held on the birthdays of India’s towering leaders, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad from next year and asked the children to read extensively about them to participate in the competition. He said the four prizes would be given away in each contest with the first prize of Rs. one lakh, second prize of Rs. 50,000 and two third prizes of Rs. 25,000 in each category. He said this would also give the students an opportunity to fully understand their personalities and contribution in building the country on modern and scientific lines.
The Chief Minister also announced launching of group insurance scheme for poor school children to ensure that they do not have to suffer for want of money in curing their ailments. He said many poor students afflicted with some disease drop out from schools as their parents can not afford the money required for their treatment. He said the group insurance scheme would help such children. The scheme, he said, would be launched in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Bank.
Azad said that Jammu and Kashmir has the proud distinction of giving to free India the first Minister Prime as fore-fathers of Jawaharlal Nehru belonged to Kashmir from where they had migrated to U.P. He said for this fact his birthday assumes more significance for the people and children of the State. The day, he added, has a special meaning for them.
Recalling that Nehru came from a well off family, the Chief Minister said that he left the comforts of life and opted for serving the people of the country. He said his father was a reputed lawyer of India and had several houses which he donated to the nation. He said Nehru was the Prime Minister of the country for 17 years but did not own a house of his own. Likewise his daughter, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister for 15 years and her son, Rajiv Gandhi, PM for 5 years, too did not have a house of their own. He said Sonia Gandhi, politically being the most powerful person in the country for several years also does not own a house. He said ideals, not riches, make people immortal and asked the children to take lesson from the lives of the great leaders of the country whose passion was to serve the people rather than themselves. He mentioned Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Sardar Patel, among others, and said that they are remembered today for their valuable contribution to the freedom struggle and development of India as a great country. He said it was the far-sightedness of Pt. Nehru that India is a secular and democratic country while in the neighbouring country the people were not as lucky.
The Chief Minister said that secularism is the soul of India and conspiracies to take India away from this path would always fail. He said Nehru also gave to the world a new pioneering philosophy of non-alignment along with Col. Nasser, Marshal Tito and President Sukarno. He said Nehru’s popularity transcended national boundaries as his outlook and contribution was international in dimension. He said he was acclaimed worldwide for his views and political philosophy. He said that Nehru immensely loved children and that is why his birthday is celebrated as Children’s Day throughout the country. He called upon children to draw inspiration from him for shouldering the future responsibilities of nation building.
About the Children’s Day functions held today in the State, the Chief Minister said such events were being held across the country to celebrate the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister gave prizes to students for academic excellence, co-scholarship and sports activities during 2006. Colourful balloons were released in the air at the venues of the functions to mark the start of the mega event.
Minister for Education, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed greeted the children on the occasion and said that 14th November has a special significance for the country for being the birthday of its great leader. He lauded the contribution of Pt. Nehru for laying a strong edifice for a secular and democratic India which has emerged as a significant economic power in the world.
Peerzada said that it was the result of the efforts of great leaders of the country like Pt. Nehru that India is resolutely marching ahead on the path of progress and prosperity with strong democratic traditions and secular ethos. He also recalled Pt. Nehru’s pioneering contribution to the philosophy of non-alignment.
The Minister for Education announced that all schools in the State would observe holiday tomorrow.
Minister of State for School Education, Manjit Singh also paid rich tributes to Pt. Nehru and greeted the children on the occasion.
Captivating and colourful cultural programmes based on the theme of composite heritage of the State were presented by school children.
The dare-devil motorcycle ride at M. A. Stadium, Jammu and recitation of a melodious Na’at by tiny tot, Shahbaz Gul at SKICC, Srinagar were the attractions of the two functions held in the twin capitals of the State today.