| News Details |
| Memorial lecture on Balraj Puri delivered in JU | | Indian at 70-years a 50-50 success story: Ram Guha | 
Jammu, August 05, (Scoop News)- The Department of Students Welfare, University of Jammu in collaboration with Institute of J&K Affairs organised Balraj Puri Memorial Lecture-2017 with the title ‘India at 70: A Historian’s Report Card’.
While Prof. R.D. Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu was the Chief Guest on the occasion, Dr. Ramachandra Guha, an eminent historian, writer, and a prominent intellectual, was the keynote speaker.
“That we (India) survive still is a miracle and that we are a democracy even more so. We have falsified the pundits, but we still have much work ahead of us in the area of nation building,” said Dr. Ramachandra Guha in his keynote address.
Dr. Guha said that he would call Indian democracy’s 70-years a 50-50 success story. As far as political democracy is concerned, he said that India’s greatest achievement has been holding free and fair elections whereas on the negative side there have been increasing curbs on freedom of expression and a decline in the autonomy of public institutions.
In the area of social freedom, Dr. Guha mentioned that Indian experience has been better with the loosening of linkages between caste and occupation and the link between family and marriage. “Women and weaker sections are still discriminated,” he said
Within the domain of cultural freedom, he said “The sustenance of linguistic pluralism is perhaps independent India’s greatest achievement.” However, he noted that India’s record in ensuring the freedom to worship a god or gods of your choice (or no god at all) has been mixed. “Muslims are freer to practice their faith in India than, for example, Muslims in China”, he added.
Lastly, in economic sphere, he said that in the 70 years there has been a decline in poverty and destitution, with “Nehru, Indira and Modi, and all other PM’s in between have seen this as their central goal. “ For the first 30 years of independence, economic activity was dominated by the state. Finally the license permit quota Raj was dismantled in 1991 and this sparked off a surge of entrepreneurial energies in the country.” However, on the negative side, he said there is also a trend of jobless growth and environment degradation within the country.
Paying rich tributes to the work of Mr Puri particularly in forging peace in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab, he mentioned that he was a great patriot though his love for his country was not based on hate for anyone. “His work was geared towards ensuring social and economic justice across the country”, he said.
The Chief Guest, Vice Chancellor Prof. R.D. Sharma, in his speech, presented a precise information about the economic report of India over the past 70 years. He cited many examples which show that we have come a long way during this period and we shall be hopeful to achieve much more in coming years but the need is to achieve all this with integrity, honesty and in democratic way.
Earlier in her welcome address, Prof. Satnam Kour, Dean Students Welfare presented detailed information about Balraj Puri Memorial Lecture and contributions of Mr Balraj Puri in spreading peace and brotherhood.
Ms. Ellora Puri, Honorary Director, Institute of Jammu & Kashmir Affairs introduced the Keynote Speaker and also presented the formal vote of thanks.
The programme was attended by a large gathering of intellectuals, journalists, educationists, members of civil society and the faculty, students and scholars of the University of Jammu. It was ably conducted by Ramneet Kour and was coordinated by Sumeet Sharma. The hall management was looked after by Kulbhushan Thakur.
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