India has widespread tradition of ‘vaad-vivad’: President Kovind at IIC diamond jubilee function

New Delhi, April 18

India has a prevalent tradition of ‘vaad-vivaad’ and ‘samvaad’ (debates and discussions) and today’s youth is keen to reconnect with that heritage, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Monday.

Speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the India International Centre (IIC) here, he also said that India’s ancient philosophy, called ‘darshan’, is often acknowledged to be far more subtle and robust than the best of the philosophical works produced elsewhere.

Kovind noted that the people, especially the youth, are keen to learn more, not only in terms of facts but also in terms of tools of critical thinking necessary to arrive at the truth.

The President said when the idea of IIC was conceived in 1958 as an international platform for exchange of views, the world was coping with issues concerning a fair and stable international order and legacy-burdens of two world wars.

The process of de-colonisation was underway in Asia and Africa, with new aspirations influencing the emerging international order, he said.

As the contemporary world is going through a phase of transition, forums like the IIC become all the more relevant, Kovind said.

The president said the founding of this institution was done by women and men with a vision of India’s future and its role in a world of international cooperation.

The IIC stands for a vision of India as a vibrant democracy where it is possible to initiate dialogue in an atmosphere of amity and understanding, with national and international participation, he said.

The founders of this institution had the foresight to see what could unfold in the years to come, and how the IIC could be a part of developments in a new nation and also contribute to debates globally, Kovind said.

Such debates have kept pace with time and since its beginning in the early 1960s, programmes at the Centre have reflected global and national concerns and continue to create awareness and influence public opinion on relevant issues, he said.

Through its close contacts with prominent academic and cultural institutions within and outside India, and through its networking with diplomatic missions in the capital, the IIC draws scholars, thinkers and professionals from India and abroad, he said.

Noting that during its diamond jubilee year, the IIC has chosen to especially focus on programmes related to women and gender, the President said as “we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our independence with ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, let us also highlight the significant achievements of women and the several legal and social initiatives that seek to bring about change”.

He said there are several examples of Indian women who, before and after independence, have shattered many glass ceilings. “Let us not forget the fearless women scientists of the Mars Orbiter Mission. Women were among the leading ‘Corona Warriors’ who demonstrated extraordinary resilience and provided healing touch to save fellow citizens, often risking their own lives,” he said.

The president said women’s participation in the unorganised sector of the economy is very high.

The formal economy needs to do much more to empower the women-workforce. Women should be encouraged to participate more in what is known as ‘STEMM’—Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management, Kovind said.

National and global economies stand to benefit from their talent and their creative ways of responding to challenges, he said.

The President said the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal-5 seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. “We need to eliminate structures of violence and exclusion that block women’s progress and to open all avenues for them so that they realise their potential in diverse fields,” he said.

Kovind said in the diamond jubilee year of the IIC, he wished there were hundreds of IICs across India, in several states and small towns, setting high standards of debate and discussion.

Just as the IIC has not remained an ivory tower, the new centres too would be engaged in the task of making the world a better place through the use of reason, he said.

The president said “today, I remember late Soli Sorabjee for his great contribution to this institution”.

“I congratulate the board of trustees, the executive committee and other past and present office-bearers of the IIC on the occasion of its diamond jubilee. I recall with appreciation the performance of NN Vohra when he was governor of Jammu and Kashmir. I also feel happy to note that after taking over as the president of the IIC he has brought about transformational changes,” he said.