“Sanatan Pride is Rebuilding… with Stronger Determination”:VP Dhankhar

GG News Bureau
Puducherry, 17th June: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar today said that “Sanatan pride is rebuilding. What was lost is being rebuilt — with stronger determination.” He made this statement while addressing students and faculty members at Pondicherry University, emphasizing India’s rich historical legacy and the need for a renewed national mindset.

Dhankhar recounted India’s past as a global hub of learning, citing ancient universities like Takshashila, Nalanda, Mithila, and Vallabhi. He lamented the destruction of this knowledge heritage through invasions, specifically mentioning Bakhtiyar Khilji’s burning of Nalanda’s nine-story library, Dharamganj. “The fire raged for years. It swallowed 9 million — 90 lakh — books and texts. Our history turned to cinders,” he stated, asserting that “the soul of Bharat is indestructible.”

Urging a change in the national mindset, particularly within the political sphere, Shri Dhankhar appealed for dialogue and moderation. He criticized the tendency to prioritize individual ideas over collective consensus. “Why should we melt the glaciers of our patience? Why should we act impatiently getting away from our civilisational, spiritual essence?” he questioned, calling upon political leadership to “moderate the temperature of politics.” He stressed, “There is no room for confrontation. There has to be dialogue. Disruption and disturbance are not the mechanism, which framers of Constitution in Constituent Assembly have taught us.”

The Vice-President also voiced strong concern over the increasing commercialization of education. He recalled a time when education and health were driven by a sense of social contribution, not profit. “Education as service stands at odds in conflict with the current commercial model that is fast emerging,” he remarked. He appealed to corporate leaders to dedicate their CSR resources to establishing globally eminent institutions as greenfield projects, detached from balance sheet concerns, and aligning with India’s traditional Gurukul system.

Emphasizing the crucial role of alumni in university development, Shri Dhankhar cited examples of developed democracies where university endowment funds run into billions. He urged Pondicherry University alumni to contribute, stressing that “the amount does not matter — the spirit matters,” likening it to Neil Armstrong’s “small step, giant leap” analogy for cumulative impact.

Dhankhar highlighted India’s linguistic diversity as a hallmark of inclusivity. “How can we be divided on languages? No country in the world is as rich when it comes to languages as our ‘Bharat’,” he said, listing classical languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu. He underscored that “our languages indicate inclusivity,” and urged introspection to overcome divisiveness.

The event was attended by various dignitaries, including Hon’ble Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Shri K. Kailashnathan; Hon’ble Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri N. Rangasamy; Hon’ble Speaker, Puducherry Legislative Assembly, Shri Embalam Selvam @ R. Selvam; Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Shri S. Selvaganapathy; and Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Shri V. Vaithilingam.