Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday called for writing history with Indian perspective and values, saying that the British historians never accepted 1857 as the first war for Independence and tried to portray it merely as a 'sepoy mutiny'.
Addressing the students from the Delhi Tamil Students Association here, the Vice President said the Britishers had their own vested interests to exploit India and history became a tool for them to achieve the aim.
He said the country's education system should reflect Indian culture and traditions.
Noting that more than 19,500 languages or dialects were spoken in India as mother tongues, Naidu emphasised the need for cherishing country's rich language heritage.
"India is a blessed country to have so many living languages and we should be proud of it," he said.
According to an official release, Naidu said that every child should get basic schooling in his mother tongue.
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"This will not only result in better learning outcomes but will also go a long way in the preservation of our languages," he said.
Describing students as future leaders, he said they should not only excel in their studies but also remain alive to the issues facing the nation.
"You should not only take a keen interest in contemporary issues, but also have right sense of our past as well. History is not exactly what Britishers have taught us. They had their own vested interests to prolong their rule in India....to exploit its vast human and natural resources," he said.
"Their policies were guided by this greed. History too became a tool to achieve this aim. British historians never accepted 1857 as the first war for freedom. Rather they tried to portray it mere 'sepoy mutiny'. Divide and rule became their principle. We need our own sense of history with Indian perspective and Indian values," he said.
He asked students not to confine their learning to classrooms only and advised them to spend time outside, especially in natural environs.
"Nature helps you to become a better person ... a considerate human being who is sensitive to the smallest creature," he said.
Asking students to remain physically fit by taking an active interest in sports, he said that the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases was mainly due to lifestyle changes and the younger generation should be made aware of the health benefits of traditional Indian food and Yoga.
He appealed to the youth to spread the message of the 'Fit India Movement' launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Noting that India was known as Viswa Guru, the Vice President said that India should once again achieve the status and a hub of innovation and knowledge.
He suggested transformative reforms in the education system to prepare students to effectively face the challenges of the 21st century.
He also asked students to keep in mind the mantra of 'India First' in their future endeavours, the release said.
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