I am indeed delighted to be here in Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior and interact with the students and faculty of the school. My greetings to the members of the school managing committee, principal, teachers, students and other distinguished guests. I particularly greet the teachers for empowering women through quality education and thereby raising their capacity to contribute to the society. I find that the Vidyalaya strength has grown to around 650 students. I am happy to note that over 7,500 students after their study have left this campus and many of them have made their mark in different fields. I would like to share with you some thoughts on "Evolution of Enlightened Women".

On 17th August 2006, I visited and interacted with the students of Kanya Maha Vidyalaya at Jalandhar in Punjab. This Vidyalaya has been started in the year 1886 and college education for women had commenced in Kanya Maha Vidyalaya in 1914. Presently, the college has strength of over 2500 students. While interacting with the students, I asked them what they would like to be after completing their education. About 10 students wanted to become doctors, 15 students wanted to become engineers, 30 students wanted to become administrators, five students wanted to become politicians whereas hundreds of students raised their hands when I asked the question how many of you would like to become teachers. I could see hundreds of children preferring to become teachers. This reveals how the way of teaching, the teachers way of thinking, parental guidance all leading to the conditioning of the children?s mind towards teaching as a career, even though the same school has created number of administrators, political leaders, engineers and doctors. Also the thinking process of the students is influenced by employment opportunities. Since I am in the midst of the girl students, I thought of sharing with you this information. Let me understand your way of thinking about your life?s mission.

Two Great Mothers

Womanhood is a beautiful creation of God. I am always inspired by two great women. One is my mother and the other mother is mother of music Bharat Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi. Few minutes I would like to share my thoughts with you about these two great souls.

Embodiment of Love: During the II world war in 1941, it was a difficult time for our family at Rameswaram. I was a ten year old boy then. War had almost reached our doors of Rameswaram i. e. Sri Lanka. Almost everything was a rarity from food articles to anything. Ours was a large joint family. My father and his younger brother?s families were all living together. The size of our family was five sons and five daughters and three of whom had families. I used to see in my house anytime three cradles. My grandmother and mother were almost managing this large contingent. The environment in the home alternated by happiness and sadness. I used to get up at four in the morning, take bath and went to my teacher Swamiyar for learning mathematics. He will not accept students if they had not taken bath. He was a unique mathematics teacher and he used to take only five students for free tuition in a year. My mother used to get up before me, and gave bath to me and prepared me to go for the tuition. I use to comeback at 5:30 when my father would be waiting for taking me to the Namaz and Koran Sharif learning in Arabic school. After that I used to go to Rameswaram Road Railway station, three kilometers away to collect newspaper. Madras Dhanushkodi Mail will pass through the station but will not stop, since it was war time. The newspaper bundle will be thrown from the running train to the platform.

I used to collect the paper and run around the Rameswaram town and be the first one to distribute the newspapers in the town. My elder cousin brother was the agent who went away to Sri Lanka in search of better livelihood. After distribution, I used to come home at 8 AM. My mother will give me a simple breakfast with a special quota compared to other children because I was studying and working simultaneously. After the school gets over in the evening, again I will go around Rameswaran for collection of dues from customers. I still remember an incident which I would like to share with you. As a young boy I was walking, running and studying all together. One day, when all my brothers and sisters were sitting and eating, my mother went on giving me chapattis (even though we are rice eaters only wheat was rationed). When I finished eating, my elder brother called me privately and scolded ?Kalam do you know what was happening? You went on eating Chappati, and mother went on giving you. She has given all her chappatis to you. It is difficult time. Be a responsible son and do not make your mother starve?. First time I had a shivering sensation and I could not control myself. I rushed to my mother and hugged her. Even though I was studying in 5th class, I had a special place in my home because I was the last guy in the family. There used to be no electricity. Our house was lit by the kerosene lamp that too between 7 to 9 PM. My mother specially gave me a small kerosene lamp so that I can study up to 11 PM. I still remember my mother in a full moon night which has been portrayed with the title ?mother? in my book ?Wings of Fire?.

This is the story of my mother who lived ninety three years, a woman of love, a woman of kindness and above all a woman of divine nature. My mother performed Namaz five times everyday. During Namaz, my mother always looked angelic. Every time I saw her during Namaz I was inspired and moved. Radiating Divine Music: Dear friends, I will now talk to you about mother of Carnatic music M. S. Subbulakshmi. First time in the year 1950, I heard her when I was studying in the college at Trichy during Thiagaraja festival at Tiruvaiyar, which is conducted in January every year to celebrate the great musical exponent Thyagaraja Swamigal. I attended this festival with my close friend music lover Santhanam. After Pancharatna Kriti, MS Subbulakshmi sang the famous Thiagaraja keertana ?Endaro Mahaanubhavalu andhariggi vandanamulu? This song really entered into me and blossomed happiness in my body and soul. The meaning was so powerful; I was moved and became a lifetime fan of M S. I started liking her statement in the music academy, linking music with Bhakti.

?Bhakti is nothing but the devotion we show to the divinity that resides within us. Once we regard the divinity within us with devotional fervour, we are bound to develop the same affection towards everything outside. The reason is that the same divine truth runs through all things. When the devotee has attained this state, service to the world becomes his creed.?

I used to meet her in music concerts. It was a great joy for me when M.S. was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1998 at Ashoka Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan. I was sitting by her side. She touched my head and blessed. Meeting her was my greatest moment in my life. She gave one statement which I would like to recall ?Any raga has the purpose of directing the minds of the listeners towards God and His manifestations?. As a tribute to the great soul, I have composed a poem; I would like to recite few lines:





This means:

You are the seven swaras of the instrument

Your music gave peace and lilt

A lot of wealth you gave along with music

You surprised God and made him realize the significance of human voice

Now, I would like to share with you an experience which I had during my visit to Karnataka.

Righteousness in the Heart

On 21st November 2005, I had visited Adhichunchanagiri Math, attended a function of FUREC (Foundation for Unity of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship) and interacted with over 54,000 students of various schools and colleges of Karnataka. There a 10th class student Ms. M. Bhavani studying in Adichunchanagiri Composite High School, Sharavathy Nagar, Shimoga asked me the following question.

?Dear Sir, What is the role of students to stop corruption which is deeply rooted in our county just like cancer??

Agony of the young mind is reflected in this question. For me it was an important question, since it came from a young mind. I was thinking what type of solutions we could give. My thought process was the following:

I said there are one billion people in the country and nearly 200 million homes. In general there are good citizens everywhere. However, if we find that people in few million houses are not transparent and not amenable to the laws of the country, what can we do? These houses apart from parents have one daughter or one son or both. If the parents in these houses are deviating from the transparent path the children can use the tool of love and affection and correct the parents to come back to the right path. I asked all the children assembled in that gathering, in case parents of few children get deviated from transparency, will you children boldly tell your parents, father or mother, you are not doing the right thing, that is what we are taught by you and in the school. Most of the children spontaneously responded, ?We will do it?. The confidence comes from them that they have love as a tool. Similarly I have also asked the parents in some other meeting, initially there was a silence, later, many of them hesitantly agreed that they would abide by the children?s suggestion since it is driven by love. They took an oath from me. The oath was ?I will lead an honest life free from all corruption and will set an example for others to adopt a transparent way of life?. Finally I told the students that they should start a movement starting from their home. Youth of today have to fight to eradicate corruption by making each home righteous. I am sure every one of you can make the nation great by participating in the movement of the youth.

Conclusion: Empowering Women

In conclusion, I would like to recall a famous poet of India, Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiar in the year 1910, he visualized the emerging women of India. Let me recite.

This beautiful poem brings out the profile of emerging women.

Emerging Women

She walks with raised head,

With her eyes looking straight,

She has her principles,

Unafraid of anybody!

She has a lofty

And knowledge based pride,

Such cultured women,

Don't falter from the chosen path.

She drives ignorance away.

She welcomes the bliss of life.

With learned mind,

This is the Dharma of emerging woman.

The dream of the poet, I am sure, will become a reality of life for the students of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior.

When the child is empowered by the parents, at various phases of growth, the child transforms into a responsible citizen. When the teacher is empowered with knowledge and experience, good young human beings with value systems take shape. When individual or a team is empowered with technology, transformation to higher potential for achievement is assured. When the leader of any institution empowers his or her people, leaders are born who can change the nation in multiple areas. When the women are empowered, society with stability gets assured. When the political leaders of the nation empower the people through visionary policies, the prosperity of the nation is certain.

While concluding I would suggest that the students assembled here have to choose an aim in life. Let that become the mission of your life and you continuously acquire knowledge. Work hard for your goal with patience and perseverance. While you are working for your goal, you are bound to face hurdles and problems. You do not allow problems to become your master. You become master of the situation and defeat the problem. These four traits will lead you to succeed in all your missions. This is the secret of success in all your missions.

Now, I would like to administer a seven point Oath for National Development.

Seven Point Oath

1. I realize, I have to set a goal in my life. To achieve the goal, I will acquire the knowledge, I will work hard, and when the problem occurs, I have to defeat the problem and succeed.

2. As a youth of my nation, I will work and work with courage to achieve success in all my tasks and enjoy the success of others.

3. I shall always keep myself, my home, my surroundings, neighbourhood and environment clean and tidy.

4. I realize righteousness in the heart leads to beauty in the character, beauty in the character brings harmony in the home, harmony in the home leads to order in the nation and order in the nation leads to peace in the world.

5. I will lead an honest life free from all corruption and will set an example for others including my home to adopt a righteous way of life.

6. I will light the lamp of knowledge in the nation and ensure that it remains lit for ever.

7. I realize, whatever work I do if I do the best, I am contributing towards realizing the vision of developed India 2020.

My best wishes to all the members of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya success in their mission of shaping the minds of the girl students through value based quality education.

May God bless you.

Question and Answer Session

1. What would be the best way of fighting terrorism in India?

- Alpa Sood, 12th Standard, Guna, Madhya Praesh

Ans: I have discussed this topic in detain in my address to the nation on the eve of the 60th Independence Day. You can refer to my website . As far as students are concerned their first job is to study well and excel in the subject of their choice. They should not enter into politics when they are pursuing education. The students should cultivate good habits. Parents and teachers must introduce the student to the intellectuals. The students should learn to respect all elders and develop a habit of being kind to every one. Sometimes someone may commit some mistakes. We should not be revengeful and we should have a large heart to forget and forgive. We should forget enmity and promote love and affection in society.

2. When will there be equality in our country?

- Anshuma Chandak IX Gwalior, M.P

Ans: When India gets transform into a developed country by 2020, we expect to have near equality. Equality in opportunity, equality in status and equality in prosperity and peace.

3. Who inspired you in your childhood?

- Mehak Taneja VI Delhi

Ans: My elementary school teacher Shri Sivasubramania Iyer.

4. If you had qualified for the IAS, what do you think you would have achieved?

- Nidhi Singh X U.P.

Ans: I did not appear for Civil Service Examinations. If I had an opportunity, I would have worked for removing the rural-urban divide by promoting rural prosperity.

5. What are your plans for reducing poverty in India?

- Vedika Mittal VIII Kota Rajasthan

Ans: We have a mission of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020. This envisages integrated action in five areas i.e. (a) agriculture and agro processing (b) education and healthcare (c) information and communication technology (d) infrastructure including quality power and transportation system and (e) self-reliance in critical technologies. If these five areas are executed well, we will be able to achieve economic security, food security and national security. One of the important areas will be PURA i.e. Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas. This envisages provision of physical connectivity, electronic connectivity, knowledge connectivity leading to economic connectivity of the rural clusters. In India we propose to have 7000 PURAs. These actions will definitely remove the poverty of the people. As you are aware, in the last five years the people living below poverty line has come down from 260 million to 220 million.

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