The Hindu : National : River linking is key to nation's progress: Kalam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

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National

River linking is key to nation's progress: Kalam

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, OCT. 15. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, today emphasised the importance of the interlinking of rivers in India's march towards the status of a "developed country" by 2020.

Inaugurating the National Youth Conference on "Unity of Minds — A Pathway to Harmony of Religions," organised by the J.S.S. Mahavidyapeetha at Suttur near here, Mr. Kalam said the proposed project to interlink the rivers was a solution to the distress caused by floods and droughts.

"When the Brahmaputra is in spate, Assam is submerged in floods. When the Ganges overflows, Bihar is flooded. At the same time, other parts of the country are reeling under drought. Several parts of South India go without water," Mr. Kalam said. The President, who was conferred the title of "Visionary of New India" by the Suttur Math to mark his 74th birthday today, said an infrastructure development programme of the scale of the interlinking of rivers would open up a whole new world of job opportunities for youth.

`Aim for the best'

He asked people not to be daunted by imaginary obstacles. "Human plight is the creation of minds," said Mr. Kalam, quoting the then President of Royal Society of London, Lord Kelvin, who in 1890 had dismissed the idea of flying. "But, within two decades, the Wright brothers disproved Lord Kelvin's prophecy by flying an aircraft," Mr. Kalam said.

"The word `impossible' should be removed from the dictionary," he told the gathering of more than 8,000 students from all over the country.

Vision 2020

He identified education and health care, agriculture and food processing and information and communication technology (ICT) as focus areas for development under "Vision 2020."

Emphasis should be given to women's education and solving the problems of farmers.

Under ICT, efforts should be made to popularise tele-medicine, tele-education and e-governance.

India is a country of more than one billion people, of whom 260 million lived below the poverty line, he said.

India's quest for the tag of a developed nation would not be realised as long as the conditions of people living below the poverty line were not improved.

Mr. Kalam identified the country's 3,000-year-old heritage and many religions as its "core competencies" and asked people to place the interest of the nation above religion, politicians and the political system.

Plurality of religion

The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Dharam Singh, credited the President with awakening the youth of the country.

Mr. Singh said all religions preach the well-being of humanity.

"No religion teaches hatred. Unfortunately, religion has been misused to divide people," he said.

The Seer of the Suttur Math, Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, said plurality in religious outlook was conducive to creativity, growth and development.

"We see today, confrontation, conflict and quarrels among various groups on petty issues. What is required is harmonisation. Unity of minds is the royal path for attaining harmony of religions."

Twenty-two spiritual heads participated in the conference.

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