Jagdeep Dhankhar Highlights India's Growth, Demographic Challenges & National Unity at Memorial Lecture

Parliament has to be impregnable citadel of dialogue, debate, discussion and deliberation : Jagdeep Dhankhar

5 Dariya News

Thiruvananthapuram 02-Mar-2025

The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that, “ India is no longer a nation with a promise. India is no longer labelled as a nation of snake charmers. India is charming the entire world with the potential it has for everyone on the globe”.

Reflecting on the growth trajectory of Bharat in the recent decade, Shri Dhankhar underlined, “People-centric policies and transparent accountable governance has given buoyancy to ecosystem A nation of one 1.4 billion, look at the transformative change that has impacted the rural firmament. 

Every house has a toilet, electric connection, water connection is on the way, a gas connection.connectivity, internet and road, rail and handholding policies in health and education sector. These define our growth trajectory”.

“This economic renaissance, which was beyond imagination, beyond contemplation, beyond dreams few years ago has generated what is the essence of our Sanatana, inclusivity, non-discriminatory, uniform, even-handed equitable development results and fruits for one and all. 

Effort has been made irrespective of any qualification, race, religion, caste, colour, that the benefit must reach those who are in the last line and this is being done with great success”, he emphasised. 

Delivering Fourth P. Parameswaran Memorial Lecture on the theme ‘Democracy, Demography, Development and the future of Bharat’ at Thiruvananthapuram today, Shri Dhankhar said, “ [Shri P. Parameswaran] his unwavering commitment to Bharatiya values, his deep understanding of Indian ethos and his relentless pursuit of national unity continues to inspire generations. 

His vision for a self-reliant Bharat, culturally rooted and spiritually awakened resonates profoundly across the nation”. “The memorial lecture in the honour, in the memory of one of the greatest sons of Bharat. 

He happens to be in the front league of idealogues and thinkers of Hindu thought process in this century. We are celebrating by way of this lecture one of the finest intellectuals committed to social work.

A civilization is known only by one fundamental consideration. Does it really honor its great sons? And that has been the theme in last few years. Our forgotten heroes, unsung heroes, not well so unseen heroes, we have remembered them”, he added.

Expressing his concern over inorganic demographic transitions, Shri Dhankhar stated, “ Demography does matter. Demography should not be confused with majoritarianism. We cannot have a society divided in these two camps. 

But ladies and gentlemen, the nation is faced with grim challenges when it comes to demography. The demographic evolution must be organic. It must be natural. It must be soothing. Only then it reflects unity in diversity.

But if demographic variations are brought about in the nature of virtual earthquake, there is cause for concern. If inorganic demographic variations take place with intent to increase demographic component with the object to secure prowess then we have to be alarmed. 

This is being done. This is noticeably being done. We are at a stage, crossroads where we can neither overlook nor countenance this highly destabilising development. We have to be extremely alert. All have to converge to preserve the pristine demographic sanctity of Bharat”.

 “As of now in the country we have, from electoral point of view areas where elections do not make much sense. We have fortresses in the country that have emerged in the last few years, where outcome of the election is always foreclosed by demographic dislocations. 

Addressing these challenges, which are very daunting, policy interventions alone are not sufficient. We have to appreciate and recognize these challenges as existential to our Nationalism and also to our Democracy.

How can a nation suffer millions of illegal migrants? Look at their number. Look at the danger they bring to this country. Everyone in this country is fired with a zeal of nationalism. These people come, make demand on our employment, on our health, on our education sectors and then become a factor in electoral politics. 

It is very urgent. This has to be addressed. We are Cliff hanging. We must generate awareness. Mindset of the people must be activated. Every Bharatiya must be skilled to face this challenge. Unchecked flow is threatening our culture also. 

I would urge we must courageously thwart these demographic dislocations”, he added. Drawing attention towards religious conversions he said, “ The challenge is coming in various forms: one is through allurements, temptations, reaching out to the needy and vulnerable, providing support, and then in a subtle way suggesting a change of religion, which is labeled as conversions. 

The country allows everyone to have a religion of his or her choice, this is our fundamental right, this is handed to us from our civilizational wealth but if this is tampered with, it is tweaked, it cannot be tolerated. Greed and temptation cannot be the basis for this. 

When someone is in pain, in difficulty, in need, while helping them, do not pull them towards conversion, this is intolerable. No matter how much I try, I will not be able to express the gravity of the concern, the enormity of the challenge we are facing due to these strategised, orchestrated, financially backed misadventures aimed at affecting conversions”.

Reflecting on the politically divisive environment in the nation, VP said, “ We are fetched with alarmingly worrisome scenarios on certain aspects. Politics has become polarised, vertically divisive, temperatures are ever high. 

The core national values and civilisational values are not the central theme. In this country where diversity is reflected in unity, this country that prides its Sanatan values of inclusivity, we cannot afford ourselves to be distanced from these core values and engage in polarised, divisive activities.

As meaningful dialogue fades, so do the pillars of cooperation, collaboration and consensus”. Underscoring the significance of dialogue and deliberation, he said, “ I must share with you my anguish, my pain. 

Parliament must be role model for people. It is a platform to transform aspirations of the people into reality. It has to be impregnable citadel of dialogue, debate, discussion and deliberation and these facets were exemplified by the Constituent Assembly that worked for about three years in 18 sessions.

And what we see today? Dialogue, deliberation, and others have yielded to disturbance and disruption. “Can there be sacrilege of more intense enormity when temples of democracy are ravaged by disruption and disturbance? Our democracy has to survive and the first test is parliamentary functioning.

“We face situations where National interest is relegated. Anti-national narratives take wings. We are living in very dangerous times. Political intolerance and reckless stance promoting partisan and personal interest at the cost of Nationalism need to be moderated. 

There is need for social counseling. Young minds and senior citizens must converge to generate an ecosystem by becoming influencers of our mindset”. Dr. (Smt.) Sudesh Dhankhar, Spouse of the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, Shri R.V. Arlekar, Hon’ble Governor of Kerala, Shri V Muraleedharan, former Union Minister and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.