Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday urged all political parties to come together for the country’s development while calling for fostering cordial policies for coexistence with the neighbouring countries, a collective effort to counter terrorism, and increasing representation of women in positions of power.
“At a time when we are facing the worst health crisis in history, all nations, especially the South Asian nations, must come together to rebuild economies, ramp up health infrastructure and protect livelihoods,” Naidu said at the launch of a commemorative stamp on late former Prime Minister I K Gujral’s 101st birth anniversary.
Naidu highlighted Gujral’s achievements. He recalled how Gujral and his family were imprisoned during the Quit India Movement against the British colonialists in the 1940s.
“He [Gujral] was a soft-spoken, gentle politician who never compromised on his values,” Naidu said. “He was courteous to a fault and made friends across the political spectrum. A multifaceted personality, [he] enjoyed reading and reciting poetry and authored many books,” Naidu said.
He asked younger people to take inspiration from Gujral and work towards the country’s peace and development.
Naidu highlighted the rise of state-sponsored terrorism in India and urged the South Asian nations to come together to fight the scourge. “The menace of terrorism can hinder the realisation of a prosperous future for all in South Asia,” he said. “The time has come for the nations to play a more proactive role and step-up efforts in isolating nations sponsoring terrorist activities and imposing sanctions against them to deter them.”
Naidu called for the greater participation of women in public life and praised Tamil Nadu for being the state with the highest number of women high court judges–30. “There is a gross underrepresentation of women in the judiciary,” he said. “Leadership is not just about physical attributes. Women must be provided with the opportunity to take on leadership roles in politics, corporate governance, and civil society. History shows us that whenever women are given this opportunity, they excel.”
He said the 17th Lok Sabha has the highest number of women, but they account for only 14% of its strength.
