Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said three centuries of British rule had prevented Indians from learning about their glorious traditions. "A strong awareness of the country's glorious past, its great cultural and spiritual legacy is a must for today's youth to build a strong India," Singh said addressing the convocation of the Swami Ram Himalayan University.


The minister said international acceptance of India's spiritual and intellectual supremacy in the past was spontaneous and cited Chinese scholars who acknowledged India's path-breaking role in various realms of knowledge.


Quoting one of the Chinese intellectuals, Singh said, "India was China's teacher in quadratic equation, grammar, and phonetics." Referring to a former Peking University vice-chancellor who subsequently represented China at the United Nations, he said, "India has dominated China culturally for more than 2,000 years without sending a single soldier." Quoting French philosopher Voltaire, Singh said he used to say, "Everything has come down to us from the banks of the Ganges." The Union minister said Indonesia, which is an Islamic country, and Thailand, which is Buddhist, have given recognition to the Ramayana as part of their cultural heritage.


He asked students conferred degrees at the convocation to remember that they belong to a great country and dedicate all their knowledge to nation-building and social betterment. He also appealed to the students to keep learning all their lives and never be afraid of failure. "Our failures should not drive us to despair, we should learn from them and move on," Singh said.


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The minister also warned the students of the dangers of consumerism which, he said, pushes people towards a culture of "use and throw". The "growing" tendency among youngsters in the country to put their parents in old age homes is a consequence of consumerism, a concept that came from the West, he said.


"We in India are talking of old age homes? What is honing to society? "People of a country which gave the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) to the world are talking of old age homes. Parents are next to God," Singh said, asking the students to revere them.


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