Pahalgam attack a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar

COIMBATORE: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said the Pahalgam attack was a grim reminder that terrorism “is a global menace” to be addressed by humanity in unison.

Addressing the Vice Chancellors’ conference of state, central, and private universities of Tamil Nadu at Raj Bhavan in Udhagamandalam, Dhankhar expressed deep sorrow over the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

“Bharat is the world’s most peace-loving nation and our civilisational ethos reflects Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The nation’s rise cannot be handicapped by any internal or external situation. We have to bear in mind that national interest is supreme. It cannot be subservient to any other interest of political, personal or group,” he added.

Calling upon institutions to study and adopt the ‘transformative’ National Education Policy (NEP) in full spirit, Dhankhar opined: “NEP aligns with our civilisation ethos, encourages multi-disciplinary learning, and gives priority to Indian languages. The future of Indian higher education lies in moving beyond traditional silos. The era of standalone institutions is gone, and there should be a convergence of various verticals to gain an edge over.”

He underscored the significance of changing academic landscape by pointing out that the entire world was facing formidable challenges and rapid technological disruption, which was “more severe than industrial revolutions. Intolerance to a thought defines democracy in the wrong way. Tamil Nadu has a historical role in India’s academic evolution.”

Touching upon the country’s rich linguistic heritage, especially Tamils’ historic recognition, Dhankhar averred, “Our languages, their richness, and depth are our pride and legacy. This aspect amplifies the fullness and uniqueness of our culture.”