Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has called upon the people to give meaning to the words in our preamble to the Constitution of India. Describing the Indian constitution as a visionary document that reflects the core values of India, Naidu said that it ensures fundamental rights to citizens while reminding them of certain fundamental duties.
‘In the preamble to our constitution, we have solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. This is what India is all about,’ he added.
Addressing the participants of the 61st National Defence College (NDC) course on the topic ‘India’s National Core Values, Interests and Objectives’, the Vice President said that peaceful co-existence, global development and environmental protection are the key elements of India’s values.
He said that India’s interests and objectives are guided by its universal vision enunciated and practised over the last many centuries. He said, ‘We should not lose sight of these objectives as we move forward to shape the India we are dreaming of.’ Naidu stressed the need for Indians to recognise their inner strengths and build upon them. He emphasised the need to be resilient, self-reliant and self-confident.
The Vice President said that, unlike other old civilisations that perished with time, the Indian civilisation survived foreign invasions because of its values, culture, heritage and traditions. He said that Indians believe in the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which means ‘The whole world is one family’ and have always propagated for universal brotherhood and advocated for peaceful co-existence with others. Noting that the Indian civilization has always prayed for the wellbeing of the entire world, Shri Naidu said that since time immemorial, India has shared its knowledge, skills and practices with the rest of the world so that others too can reap benefits.
He said, ‘From zero to yoga, India’s contribution to various fields, underpinned by the virtue of ‘share and care’, has been immense.’ Pointing to the emergence of negative forces that are threatening to retard the progress of the nation, the Vice President said, ‘We have to prepare our defences to defeat these destructive forces. We cannot ignore the threat of terrorism, insurgency and de-stabilizing rhetoric of hatred and bigotry.’ Country comes first.