‘Universities should not become spaces for ideological conflict’
NEW DELHI: Universities should be a platform for exchange of views and not become spaces for ideological conflict, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.
He was addressing the inaugural session of a threeday international seminar on “Revisiting The Ideas of India from Swaraj’ to New India’” at the Delhi University.
Shah said that if a particular ideology is a cause for strife, it is “not an ideology and definitely not India’s ideology”.
“Universities should become a platform for exchange of views and not become spaces for ideological conflict. An ideology progresses through ideas and discussions.
“No one remembers those who destroyed the universities of Nalanda and Taxila. It is said that the library of Nalanda University burnt for months. But the thoughts from those universities continue to live on even till now,” he said addressing the students.
He also advised the youths to understand their duties towards the country and spoke about India’s defence policy.
India did not have a defence policy before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power and even if it existed, it was a “shadow” of the foreign policy, Shah said. Referring to the anti-terror surgical strikes and airstrike, the minister said that these actions showed the meaning of India’s defence policy.
“Before Prime Minister Modi, India did not have a defence policy. Even if it existed, it was a shadow of foreign policy.
“Earlier, terrorists would be sent to attack us and there were similar attempts to do so with the Uri and Pulwama attacks. But with the surgical strikes and airstrikes, we showed what the defence policy meant,” he said.