Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's Convocation Address at Manipur University

"I am delighted to be here with you this morning, and to address the Ninth Convocation of Manipur University. My heartiest congratulations to all those who have been conferred degrees and awarded gold medals and cash awards. Returning to a university campus is always an emotional experience for me. My professional life started among you, teachers and students, and I know how important any Convocation is in the academic life and calendar of a university As I stand here before you, memories rush into my mind of my days on a University campus. It feels good to be here again after a long gap. I was here in the late 1980s. The universities in the North East have made a name for themselves and the Manipur University stands tall among them and among the several hundred universities we now have across the country.

Manipur is a rich storehouse of culture with distinctive qualities and characteristics, a repository of culture, tradition, life and aspects of the communities inhabiting the State. The folktales, folk-songs, ballads, proverbs, riddles, sayings, chants, beliefs, folk arts, dances and practices, constituting the culture of the Meitcis, the Muslims, the Nagas and Kukis inhabiting the plain and the hills to Manipur are well-known all over the globe. It is no wonder that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru referred to Manipur as the Switzerland of the East and the Jewel of India.

Manipur needs to look to the future with hope and confidence, I do believe that the creativity, the spirit of adventure and the cultural and spiritual values of the people of Manipur must and will find a space for free expression in an India that is growing, an India that is multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-faceted. I am aware of Manipur's problems in some ways they are unique but in many ways they are common to the North-East as a whole, indeed, to large parts of the sub-continent. Every Indian yearns for a life of peace and security, both economic and personal, and a life of dignity. It is only but natural that the people of Manipur also seek the same. This is a natural yearning of all human beings in a civilized society. It is a right our democracy assures every citizen.

My intimate association with this region is its representative in Parliament, has given me a deep appreciation of your hopes and aspirations. My commitment to the States of the North East and to Manipur is abiding. I believe that Manipur's foremost priority is economic and social development. It needs new investment and employment opportunities. It needs better infrastructure. It certainly needs improved connectivity road, rail, air and telecom and broadband connectivity tucked away in these beautiful hills you must not feel you are in an island of tranquillity isolated from a fast-changing world. I want to work towards removing forever any sense of isolation that may be there. We will build new physical links and nurture old emotional ones so that Manipur is never far from our hearts.

Manipur must make rapid strides in human development. The ray of education must touch all your families. Education empowers everyone. Attaining capabilities enables you to not only make use of new opportunities but to be able to create these opportunities for yourself. I would also like to see the development of Manipur's art, culture and sports. You have a rich tradition in sports. Our government would like to strengthen our national capability in sports. We are hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and would like to bid for 2016 Olympic Games. Manipur will have to play a major role in training and generating the next generation of world-class sports persons who can win laurels in these games.

We must work together to rid Manipur and the North Eastern region of the scourge of poverty and disease. I want all you young people to join me in a renewed campaign against HIV / AIDS. It is a pandemic we must all fight together so that the well-being of future generations is safeguarded. The fight against poverty and disease must be combined with the fight against the drugs and the illegal and dastardly trade in narcotics.

I have come to Manipur with another message. Apart from seeking peace and development, I want you all to work with us to also ensure the social and political empowerment of all people. I had been urging young people all over the country to come forward and actively participate in social change and in political life. I want to see the idealism that inspired our national movement to capture the hearts and minds of young people so that we can together strengthen the routes of pluralism and of multi-culturalism that define our democracy. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru captured this core element of our nationhood in the phrase 'unity in diversity'. That is the source of our strength and brotherhood.

I have come to Manipur to start a new process, recognizing your legitimate aspirations for a life of dignity with self-respect. That new process will be one in which we can ensure the security of all our people and the security of the nation in a manner that is humane and just. That was my message to the people of Kashmir. That is my message to the people of Manipur. Violence, militancy and terrorism offer no long-lasting solutions to the complex challenges our societies face. I dream of a Manipur free of violence. When that day dawns we will also have a Manipur free of the security forces that are now there to deal with that violence. While it is unfortunate that the brave men of our armed forces have on occasions become the object of public resentment because of the unacceptable behaviour of a few, we must remember that they are here to uphold the rule of law. I assure you that the rule of law will always prevail, whoever the lawbreaker. If peace is given a chance, I am certain that we will not have to burden our armed forces with duties they are not supposed to perform. I hope peace returns here, sooner rather than later, and this will enable us to correct how we manage internal security.

I empathise with the concerns expressed here in Manipur regarding the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. I have already made my views clear. I sympathize with the legitimate aspirations of the people of Manipur. There are also the imperatives of national security. In order to strike a balance between the two, we have set up a committee to review the provisions of the Act. The Committee will suggest checks and balances in the Act or replacing it with a more humane law, which takes into, account your legitimate aspirations and national security concerns. It will complete its work in six months. When I met mothers in distress from Manipur, I shared their anguish and their pain. This should satisfy all.

My young friends, I urge you to raise your sights higher and think into the future and ask what is it that we must do to bring prosperity to Manipur. How do we revitalize local Government and traditional forums of consultation at the community level? This is important because Governance and development administration should be transparent and participatory. I am acutely aware of the cancer of corruption that is eating into the vitals of development administration all over the country, and not just here. There are no administrative solutions to this problem. The real solution is to empower civil society. You young people can play a vital role in bringing greater transparency into governance and making Governments more accountable not only once in five years but at all times.

Finally, I would like you to reflect on the new opportunities that can come your way from the development of the knowledge economy and the increased connectivity between Manipur, the North-Eastern States and the region around us. I have already said we want to improve Manipur's connectivity to the region around. We would like to invest in the creation of modern infrastructure to enable this. However, for this to happen, we need peace, security and political stability. If we can work together to bring normalcy back, I can assure you that Manipur will become the jewel of India.

Mr. Vice Chancellor, Faculty and students, I am impressed by the record of achievement of Manipur University, despite the physical and financial constraints it faces. I know that you need more investment in infrastructure as well as in faculty development. Considering all the positive achievements of the University and the constraint of funds facing the University, I have agreed to upgrade Manipur University as a Central University.

Further more, the College of Technology would become a constituent college of the University. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India would be issuing the necessary orders in this connection very soon. I want facilities improved here so that you do not have to travel to distant cities in search of quality education. But, for those of you who chose to go to New Delhi or other important Centres of Education, we will try and see how we can provide some assured hostel facilities from the North Eastern States so that you are able to find a home away from home.

We live in an increasingly knowledge-based economy and education in the most important empowerment we can secure in building the capabilities we need to face the world outside. You young men and women have had the benefit of good education. I urge you to put it to the best use possible, in the interest of your families, your communities, your nation and of mankind. I am confident that the youth of Manipur will contribute their best to the cause of nation building. I urge you to appreciate the fact that education is but a medium for the flowering of the human personality. It is a reservoir from which spring the streams of innovation and imagination, of bold new departures, of dynamism in thought and action.

I invite you to write a new chapter in the history of Manipur so that we can all look forward to a life of peace, prosperity and dignity."