Book of Integration Council New - Ministry of Home Affairs

Maharashtra, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, but after his retirement, he decided to
make Goa his permanent house. When I asked him, why did he choose Goa to make a
permanent house, his reply was very proper. He says I travelled all across the Country
but only one State where I found there is a total communal harmony, Hindus, Muslims,
Catholics live hand in hand together, that is Goa and that is why I decided to spend my
old age in the State of Goa. And here, Sir, my only request is, I have been asking the
Centre to support us in the Modernisation of Police Force. Today here is one State
which we can say proudly that we have kept terrorism, naxalism and communalism
away. I am afraid that if we do not get a proper support, our support is negligible, What
we are asking a few crores of rupees for modernization of police force and bringing in
new equipment. So you can have an good example in the entire country to show case a
small state like Goa, which you can say that yes, here is a state free from communal
disturbances, free from terrorism disturbance and free from naxalist disturbances. In
fact we get scared, when we read in newspapers that, whenever some peoples are
accused are caught in bomb blast, somewhere, some news appears in the newspapers
saying that Goa was to be targeted. Goa is the soft target. We get panicky, we are
taking utmost precautions and that was the reason why we have requested you to give
us some forces though we are hosting International Film Festival in the next month, in
the State of Goa and we do not want that a wrong message should go to the world
where 2.5 millions tourists come to the State of Goa. Where our population is just 1.4
million. I agree with some of the suggestions made by the members. I think the education
system. Dr. Karan Singh made a very valuable suggestion, that does today’s education
system produce good citizens. We are only producing graduates, we are producing
technocrats, we are producing engineers but ask them, whether they have a single virtue
to tell. If you ask them what are there virtues. They are say we are lovely, we are
beautiful. Hardly few of them can say today that I am patriotric, I love my country, I am
kind, I am helpful and that is why, I think thrust should be given on bringing in value
based education where virtues can be taught to the younger generation, right from the
school days. Sir, at the end I would only say let all of us, all of us have spoken here but
I think what we speak if we but in practice, if we implement in practice, then only we
can expect some results, otherwise we will come here, attend a meeting, speak the way
we want, go and act in a different way. I think let us make a commitment that what we
have spoken here, we will work to make our country a strong motherland.
Thank you.
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