Importance of decency of language in public discourse

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Venkaiah Naidu

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today emphasised the need to maintain the civility of words and decency of language in public discourse and said that it is necessary for a healthy and strong democracy.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of the 25-day long ceremonial ‘Dandi March’ organised as part of ‘Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ in the historic Dandi village of Gujarat, the Vice President asked everyone to take inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi who always used polite and respectful language even for his opponents. “Gandhi Ji’s principle of non-violence was not limited to physical violence alone, rather it encapsulated non-violence in words and thoughts too”, he said adding that political parties should treat each other as rivals not as enemies.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”—a 75-week festival to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence, was flagged off by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi from Sabarmati Ashram, on March 12, 2021.  The festival celebrates the rapid strides India has taken in the past 75 years. The Vice President said that it is a festival that encourages us to rediscover our hidden strengths and prompts us to take sincere, synergistic action to regain our rightful place in the comity of nations.

Terming Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic Dandi Salt March as a watershed moment in our freedom struggle, Shri Naidu said that it altered the course of history. “The Dandi March we are symbolically revisiting today signifies our nation’s ability to stay united when we are faced with challenges”, he said. Noting that this ability to walk together on the path of development has yielded many positive outcomes, he underlined the need to consistently follow this path in future as well.

The Vice President further said that the message of iconic leaders like Gandhiji and Sardar Patel provide us with the inspiration to work together to build an India we all are dreaming of.  He stated that it is India that shares its prosperity with other nations.  “It is a nation that cherishes Constitutional values and its rich cultural heritage and has a deep commitment to the welfare of the people in sync with the motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas”, he added.

The Vice President said that the coronavirus pandemic proved to be a test of our resilience, the spirit of enterprise and innovation. He lauded the researchers, scientists and entrepreneurs who are shaping the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat into reality by manufacturing essential items such as PPE kits, surgical gloves, face masks to ventilators and vaccines.

Emphasising upon the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), he highlighted that India, while conducting the largest vaccination drive in the world, is also supplying vaccines to a number of countries across the world. “That is the Amrita, the eternal universal vision we have inherited”, he said and expressed his satisfaction that even in these trying times, the country is following Gandhiji’s moral philosophy.

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