Mumbai: Peace is quintessential and fundamental for the survival of democracy but it is secured only when we are ever ready for war. said vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar while addressing the 65th and 66th convocation ceremony of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) in Mumbai’s Deonar.
Addressing the gathering at IIPS as the chief guest, vice president Dhankhar reflected on the matters of security and national fortitude. Hinting at the recent tensions between India and Pakistan, he said that a nation becomes a fortress of peace after it secures its borders by decisive policies, and becomes resilient in its economy.
He also claimed that India needs to emerge as a powerful military force in the region and has to be cognizant of the recent combinations that were decisively defeated.
“There are choreographed, well-structured, ill-designed alterations aimed at changing the makeup of certain geographies. Such menacing trends require vigilant monitoring and decisive action to safeguard the integrity and sovereignty of India. These are the most worrying trends. In contrast to slow and long term demographic shifts, which is usual, natural, demographic changes take place. They have to take place, but they are usually slow and long term. Natural demographic shifts occur gradually, deliberate and orchestrated changes in the demographic composition of certain regions pose a significant concern,” he said.
Dhankhar commended the Government of India’s decision to include caste-based census in the upcoming decadal census and called it a transformative milestone in governance.
“This will help us satisfy aspirations equitably to bring about equality and will be a decisive step towards social justice. This will also help us when data becomes available to enrich our understanding of inequalities. If inequalities are there, they generate and breed inequities. That is not the essence of governance. And therefore, these caste-based censuses, the data that will emanate, will guide us for targeted development,” he said, praising institutions like IIPS for playing a crucial role in interpreting such data and proposing inclusive solutions.
The vice president warned of illegal migrants as a deeply concerning trend threatening India’s social fabric. "Bharat faces alarmingly cliffhanging situations with respect to demographic shifts, driven by unchecked illegal migrants, coupled with another sinister mechanism, that is an alluring, manipulative conversions that distort our social fabric. These are existential challenges that demand urgent, resolute, and effective national response. We will have to demonstrate unwavering, unflinching, determined commitment to preserving the authenticity, the sanctity, and integrity of our civilization."
Dhankar underscored the importance of population data for development and said that the three Ds of demography, democracy, and diversity define the soul of new India. “These three pillars encapsulate the essence of India's identity and aspirations. Demography represents the dynamic human capital that fuels the engine of progress. Democracy provides a robust framework for collective decision-making. India represents to the entire world what diversity is through its resplendent landscape, a spectrum of cultures, traditions, and perspectives that make our great ‘Bharat’ unique in the world.”
