Noting that there was no barrier that "we cannot overcome", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India could compete with the best in the world given the country harness all the talent that exists.
"I have always believed that if we put our mind to it, we can work together as a nation and compete with the best in the world," he said after presenting the Panambilli Govinda Menon award to former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair.
Govinda Menon was a multi-faceted Congressman, a freedom fighter, lawyer, administrator, a respected politician and a connoisseur of arts, Singh said.
The achievements of Nair and his ISRO team were ample proof of the country's talent, he said, adding: "If we can harness all the talent that exists in the country, there is no problem that we cannot tackle and no barrier that we cannot overcome."
The award has been instituted by Samskara Sahithi, the cultural wing of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Singh said he sensed a pride that the KPCC had spared time from the "heat and dust of political life to cultivate and patronise the arts and talent".
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Kerala has always been known for its secular and egalitarian society and its tradition of different castes, creeds and religions living and prospering in harmony. "Some of the finest cultural contributions of our country have originated in Kerala," the Prime Minister said.
Singh said the country cherished and honoured the enormous cultural contributions of geniuses like painter Raja Ravi Varma besides writers Thakhazhi Sivasankara Pillai and Vaikom Mohammed Basheer.
Singh said the entire nation was proud of the achievements of the country's scientists. It was because of their dedicated and sincere efforts of patriotism and public service that India's space programme now ranked among the most advanced in the world, he said.
"Our products and services, including commercial satellite launches, have found a ready market in developed countries such as Italy, Korea and Germany. In honouring Nair, we pay tribute to the work of all the engineers and scientists who have been a part of this national endeavour," he said.
Singh said Kerala could pride itself on "creating the rich intellectual soil" in which the country's space programme was nourished.
"The Chandrayan Moon Mission was a great achievement. Even though the moon mission could not be completed, we gained a lot of experience and the mission collected very valuable scientific data," he said.
"We have entered the historic 125th year of our beloved party, the Indian National Congress. It will be a fitting tribute if we rededicate ourselves to work together to earn the respect, goodwill, and support of the people of Kerala."
The Prime Minister thanked the Congress leaders and workers of Kerala for strengthening the party base and its image in the state.