India needs to let go of colonial mindset, follow democratic principle of mutual respect: Vice President at Kashmir University

Srinagar, Vice President of India C P Radhakrishnan on Thursday said the nation needs to let go of its colonial mindset to emerge as a global leader in innovation and hold on to the democratic principles of mutual respect.

Radhakrishnan addressed 21st convocation at Kashmir University in Srinagar in presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Hazratbal campus of the varsity.

“I urge you all to focus on Swadeshi innovation and solutions that are rooted in Indian knowledge, resources, and needs. We need not be worried, we need not be inferior. We are to throw out our colonial mindset first,” Radhakrishnan told students and scholars. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country more vibrant and more supportive than ever before. He said Indian innovations are widely accepted by the Western world as well. “So the whole world is open for you now, it is your initiative, it is your interest. It is your enthusiasm, and your hard work is going to put you at the top of the world,” said Radhakrishnan.


Vice President reminisced his days as Governor of Jharkhand when he hosted a group of students from Kashmir. “I directed the then Raj Bhawan to serve non-vegetarian food to the visiting delegation, despite being a vegetarian myself. We are democrats and we have to accept the sentiments of others,” said Radhakrishnan adding, “we can be proud of our sentiments but that does not mean we should degrade the sentiments of others. That is not good and no democrat will do that.”

He also urged the students to stay away from drugs and social media as no addiction is good for a person who wants to be successful in life. “Your parents… want you to be successful in your life. Every religion treats narcotics as the most sinful product, so keep away from drugs,” he said. He further said that scrolling social media till 3am can never help anyone. “Everything should have a limit. Addiction to anything is not good,” he said. Radhakrishnan said he wanted to tell the students three lines: “Three lines I want to tell you. Mera Kashmir nahi, tumhara Kashmir nahi, Hamara Kashmir. That is what I want from all of you.”

He also appreciated the fact that Higher Education Minister in J&K Sakina Ittoo is a woman, Vice Chancellor of KU Neelofar Khan is a woman and majority of the gold medalists in the convocation are also women.