Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday that people all over the world realise that the Indian family system is the way forward to have harmony in society, concern for others and internal peace.
India can be a role model for the entire world because of its robust family system which has successfully withstood the test of time, he said
Inaugurating an international conference held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) here, he extolled the role of mothers in society saying all religions accord them a high place of relevance and reverence.
"Religions in the world hold women and mothers in a special position of relevance of reverence as a central figure of a family and mankind," Naidu said at the conference 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -Family System and Role of Mother'.
Drawing from Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, the vice president said in our society, women are not only held equal but also superior to men because they are creators of humanity.
"In Islam, Prophet Muhammad also says in a famous narration -- "Al jannanto tah-ta aqq-daam al-omm-haat" -- meaning, 'paradise lies at the feet of your mother'.
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"In the Rig vedic period, the role of the matriarch was highly significant. In Christianity, motherhood is spoken to as a high and important calling," he said.
In Hinduism, mothers are held even superior to the heavens, Naidu said chanting the Sanskrit shloka "janani janmbhumisch swargadapigariyasi".
The idea of share and care manifested in the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam' (the world is a family) and it has been the main driving force behind the surviving and thriving Indian civilisation which is 5,000 years old, he said.
The idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' has been the guiding light for Indian family system, Naidu observed.
He said a strong family system can be the best possible solution to overcome several social evils.
Noting that the joint family system is crumbling under the weight of modern day challenges, Naidu said India has grown and attained its current stature under the strong and supportive framework of its joint family system.
"Here children learn the lessons of ethics and morality under the guidance of elderly."
The vice president also called upon the younger generation to spend time with their grandparents.
"There is a need to curb the negative trend of not spending enough time with grandparents due to mobile phones and television," he said.
Accepting that the change is inevitable, Naidu said whatever the family system be, the core values that sustained and nourished Indian families for centuries together must never be compromised.
Even if families are far away physically, they must always remain close to one another, firmly bonded in the eternal values of love, brotherhood and sacrifice, he advised.
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