SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE RASHTRAPATI SCOUTS AND GUIDES AWARD CERTIFICATES

Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, 23rd August 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen,

and Dear Cadets,

I am very happy to participate in the Award Ceremony of the Bharat Scouts and Guides, an organization engaged in the task of developing the personality of the youth, and encouraging them to render community service selflessly. I congratulate the movement and all the award winners for their work.

The last time when I interacted with the Scouts and Guides, it was in 2009 - the Centenary Year of Scouting, and this time, when I meet you, it is 100 years of the Girl Guide Movement in India. These are important milestones of your organization and I felicitate you. I have always spoken of the importance of girls joining the national mainstream and participating in all its activities. Hence, I am happy that girls are becoming Guides, joining the NCC, the police force as well as defence forces. These are welcome developments and I am confident that in the times to come, the nation will achieve its objective of gender equality. This will require getting rid of some social prejudices, changing mindsets and giving women of the country full opportunities for their empowerment. You must be aware that our society is suffering from social evils like dowry and child marriage. I urge Scouts and Guides to sensitise children about the ill-effects of these practices so that they can, with strong conviction, fight against these social evils.

The youth of the country will be the architects of the future of India. As the next generation, they will be shouldering the responsibility of creating a more dynamic society, a stronger nation and a better world. To become good citizens, you would have to acquire good education, deep understanding of issues and inculcate good values. This will promote the growth of the country. Moreover, you must strive for excellence. Have pride in whatever task you are doing. Gandhiji once said, "No matter how insignificant the thing you have to do, do it as well as you can; give it as much of your care and attention as you would give to the thing you regard as most important. For, it will be by those small things that you shall be judged". There is sometimes a feeling that we would be evaluated and remembered for our big achievements and our day-to-day activities are unimportant. This is entirely wrong. Every step, however small, leads to the next. It is in this way that we go forward. If every day you do something to increase your knowledge, to learn a good habit and indeed, do a good deed, you would have taken one step forward towards a better future. But remember, life is full of varied experiences - joy during happy events, pride in having achieved a target or a sense of disappointment when results fall short of expectations. There will also be challenging moments. There will be times when victory will be elusive. Lack of success does not mean that we give up. It only means that we have to work harder, and that we have to persevere till our objective is achieved. I recall a Hindi poem:-

So, march on and bravely face all challenges.

It is noteworthy that the Bharat Scouts and Guides come from different parts of the country and work together as a unit. Moreover, your camps are held in various parts of the country. This would have helped develop many friendships and, I hope, an appreciation for the wide diversity in our country. This is very important as not only is India a very large and vast country, but it has a rich cultural canvas, with many different languages and where all religions have a home. Yet, these all exist in harmony. It is this that gives to India its uniqueness. Tolerance and peaceful co-existence have been at the core of our civilization. These are messages relevant for all times and can, perhaps never be outdated. Even as we progress, it will be these values which would provide us strength. So, it is important that you adhere to them. Your organization has been conferred the 1988 Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration. You must continue your endeavours in this direction.

Another issue that would require your contribution will be towards efforts to stall and reverse environmental degradation. Climate change has permeated and impacted almost every aspect of our lives - the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the habitats in which we live. Just as we need the planet, the planet also needs us to respect it. In this context, everyone has to understand their duty. So adopt eco-friendly practices and help keep your environment clean. Here, I would like to emphasize the importance of developing a civic sense. Each individual should take a vow not to litter the streets and keep their immediate surroundings clean and tidy.

The Adult Leaders of the Bharat Scouts and Guides organizations alongwith Rovers and Rangers, who have also been given awards today, should guide and share their experiences with the younger members of the movement. They can provide valuable advice about how best to contribute to community development and nation building.

With these words, I wish all present here good wishes for their future success. I would also like to specially congratulate Shri Rameshwar Thakur for taking great interest in this movement.

Thank you.

Jai Hind!