Tolerance crucial aspect of Indian culture: Gadkari
New Delhi, Dec 24 : Tolerance is a crucial aspect of the Indian culture which has taken in people from different countries after they migrated here, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said here Monday.
The minister's remarks come amid a raging debate on actor Naseeruddin Shah's statement on mob violence in the country.
Delivering the 31st endowment lecture of the Intelligence Bureau, Gadkari said unity and diversity is an integral part of the Indian culture.
"Justice for all and appeasement of none... It's a fact that an individual is considered great because of his or her religion, caste, language and but his quality and productivity," he said.
The minister said politics is an instrument of socioeconomic change.
"Winning elections is important but if socioeconomic transformation does not take place... progress of country and society does not take place, then you getting elected and the incumbent getting defeated has no meaning," he said.
Highlighting the need for collective decision making among bureaucrats, the minister said taking views of juniors is not in the system.
"Discussing issues with juniors, taking their suggestions, involving them in discussions, listening to them gives a better ground report," he said.
The senior BJP leader said it is very important to take people together.
"People must have collective spirit. It is important to take people together. You can be very good and very impressive but if you do not have people to support you, what is the use?" he said.
Lauding the efforts of the "silent and tireless" role of the IB in making the country a secure and safe place, Gadkari said it is the aim of all of us to work for comprehensive and all-round development of the country.
Stating that nobody is born evil or perfect, Gadkari said police can play a key role in converting the incarcerated into contributors for society's welfare.
The minister also denounced the culture of "not taking decisions" among bureaucrats to avoid any inquiry.
Gadkari said performance audit is a better alternative to financial audit to evaluate the managerial and administrative ability of officials.
He said though transparency is equally important, but it must accompany time-bound decision making and delivery.
The Intelligence Bureau completed 100 years of its existence in 1987 and celebrated 1988 as its centenary year. On December 23, 1887, the Central Special Branch was set up under orders issued in London by the Secretary of State for India. The Central Special Branch was renamed as the Criminal Intelligence Bureau and, thereafter, as the Intelligence Bureau, MHA spokesperson said in a statement.
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Punjab farmers end protest after CM Mann's assurance on agriculture policy
Chandigarh (PTI): Farmers protesting against the alleged delay in implementation of Punjab's new agriculture policy ended their strike on Friday, a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured them that a draft of the policy would be shared with them by September 30.
Mann also assured them that their suggestions would be incorporated before the policy's implementation.
Mann on Thursday held an over two-hour meeting with leaders of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, which led the protesting farmers, to discuss their demands.
Farmers under the banner of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union began a five-day protest on Sunday to press for their demands, including the agriculture policy's implementation.
Speaking to reporters at the protest site, Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said they had urged the state government to make the agriculture policy public.
"They (the government) said it was being finalised… They said by September 30, they would finalise it and hand over a copy," he said.
"We will wait till September 30. After we get a copy of the policy, we will go through it and hold a big meeting and decide the next course of action," he added.
In the interim, "we have decided to end the protest in Chandigarh at 2 pm", Ugrahan said.
On Thursday, when asked about the farmers' future course of action following the meeting with Mann, the farmer leader said they would take a call after a meeting.
Mann assured the farmers that the state government was committed to safeguarding their interests and that the new agriculture policy would be a step forward in this direction.
The draft of the policy is ready but it will be finalised only after due deliberations with the farmers, the chief minister had said.
The draft will be shared with the farmers by September 30 and their suggestions sought, he had added.
The farmers' suggestions will be incorporated in the policy as the state government does not want to impose anything on the growers, Mann had said and added that his dispensation was committed to consulting them for making agriculture a profitable venture.
Ugrahan said after the meeting that they were informed a 1,600-page draft of the policy would be shared with them by September 30.
The farmers' other demands included the promotion of chemical-free crops, compensation to the families of farmers who committed suicide, and curbing the drugs problem in the state, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union general secretary Lachhman Singh Sewewala had earlier said.
