By IANS,
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s message to school children across the state on National Education Day observed Friday was read out along side Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s message in the state’s 300,000 basic schools.
Mayawati was earlier understood to have turned down a request from the centre for getting the prime minister’s message read out in schools on the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, celebrated Nov 11 as the National Education Day.
“The state government never had any intention to ignore the prime minister’s message to the children, but since the chief minister too wants to convey her good wishes to them, we have made arrangements for simultaneous reading of both the messages,” a top spokesman of the chief minister’s office told IANS here Friday.
While the prime minister’s message included a description of the tough life he led in his early days and how it was merit that eventually took him to get the best education, Mayawati highlighted how she too acquired her education at the Delhi University.
“I had to walk miles to reach my school in my native village in Punjab … I slogged and studied hard to earn my reward from this nation which paid me back in much bigger dividends,” Manmohan Singh stated in his message.
Mayawati in her message pointed out, “It was my dedication and hard work that enabled me to acquire higher education – a BA, B.Ed and LL.B from Delhi University.” She continued, “Thanks to my grandfather the late Mangal Sen who never believed in discriminating between girls and boys that I could move ahead of my brothers because he always inspired and encouraged me to gain more and more education.”
She says, “I began my career as a school teacher an later took to social service and politics; see today I am the chief minister of India’s most populous state for the fourth time. I am sure you too can scale such heights in life and serve the society, state and the nation.”
The chief minister focused on Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, saying “this architect of the Indian Constitution had made special provision for providing free and compulsory education to all until the age of 14.”
She added, “It was in keeping with Babasaheb’s dream that I made it a point to formulate a policy of not only ensuring free education but of also providing free books, free uniform as well as free meal to all students irrespective of caste or creed in all our schools.”
She sought to remind them, “All this was not available until sometime back. I would want you all to take advantage of these new facilities and make it a point to attend classes, study, set your goals and achieve them in life.”