PANJIM: Former Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday appealed to people to recall the work of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who he said, was instrumental in maintaining the country’s unity and integrity.
Naidu and Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai participated in the inaugural programme at Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan, where celebrations were held to commemorate the foundation day of eight States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Tamil Nadu and five Union Territories namely Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Pudducherry in association with the heads of regional associations of these States and UTs.
Speaking further, Naidu said that after Independence, India is gaining the glory and becoming a strong nation. “If we see closely, India is recognised and respected all over the world. Most of the CEOs in multinational companies are Indians,” he highlighted.
Citing the importance of mother tongue, Naidu appealed to the people to respect their own mother tongue. “Respecting the mother tongue will help you to understand yourselves better and preserve one’s own identity,” he said.
Appreciating the efforts of the Goa Governor, Naidu said Pillai’s visits to the different parts of Goa will help him to learn and witness the lifestyle of the Goans.
In his address, Pillai lauded the people’s efforts in building the nation. He said a bond of togetherness between people irrespective of their caste, creed and religion is national integrity. Feeling of oneness and brotherhood in a country will help to build a nation, the Governor added.
The Governor said that the main purpose of the programme was to enhance interaction and promote mutual understanding between the people of different States and UTs. It was also an occasion to share the best practices in art, music, dance, cuisine and tourism thereby strengthening the unity and integrity of the country.
Others present were A Durga Prasad, president Andhra Pradesh Sangam; Mallikarjun V Badami, president, Kannada Sangam; K R S Nayar, All India Malayali Association; Harvinder Singh Dham, president, Gurudwara, Betim and S Sivaraman, general secretary, Goa Tamil Sangam.
The foundation day is celebrated under the concept of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ all over the country. Earlier, M R M Rao, IAS, Secretary to Governor welcomed the guests and Mihir Vardhan gave the introductory speech. Siddhi Upadhey compered and Sandesh Gadkari proposed a vote of thanks.
