The Hindu : Students told to enter politics for nation's development

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Nagercoil

Students told to enter politics for nation's development

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL, FEB.13 . A special cover brought out by the Postal Department to commemorate the 111th foundation day of the Scott Christian College here was released by the Post Master General of Southern Region, Hilda Abraham, at a function held on the college premises today.

She said the release of the cover marked a rare honour conferred upon the ancient institution.

Launching the college Philately Club, the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Pon. Radhakrishnan, called upon students to chalk out a career in politics. ``Politics should not be misconstrued as tainted or unwanted nor should politicians be regarded as untouchable because the nation's development hinged upon a good political system. Politicians were capable of accelerating the pace of welfare measures and good political leaders provided an impetus to overall development'', he said.

He exhorted the students, who valued honesty, sincerity and social justice, to enter politics and play an active role in the nation's development. However, their studies should not be left incomplete to plunge into politics, he cautioned and added a good educational background would help them. He also urged the students to learn Hindi and treat it on a par with English or Tamil as knowledge of Hindi would enable one to obtain gainful employment in north India.

Delivering the foundation day address, Marthanda Varma, Maharaja of Travancore, noted that the college was a miniature university where the students learnt, cultivated friendship and imbibed reverence for elders. He complimented the management, staff and all those associated with the Scott Christian College, in completing 111 years of existence in the service of imparting education. He laid the foundation stone for the Septimus Scott Memorial.

Laying the foundation stone for the James Duthie memorial, Rt. Rev. J.W. Gladstone, Bishop of South Kerala Diocese (CSI), recalled the report on ``Royal visit to Nagercoil'' published in

The Hindu in February 1893 and said the report depicted the visit to the town of the Travancore Maharaja and the occasion was momentous as the clock brought by Rev. James Duthie was installed in the town. The presence of the Maharaja Marthanda Varma today befitted the occasion he said and recollected the contribution of the Travancore emperors to the promotion of education.

The first cover was received by the vice-president of the Kanyakumari Diocese, A. J. Bensam, who presided over the function.

The Rajya Sabha MP, M. Shankaralingam, the Diocese secretary, D. Christian Babu, the Diocese treasurer, S. Sathiadhas, the college correspondent, R. Raja Dhas, and the principal, E. James Reynold Daniel were among those who spoke.

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