New Delhi: There was an unchanging core to Indira Gandhi’s personality including her fierce commitment to an all-inclusive patriotism, staunch secularism; indomitable courage and fortitude and empathy for the poor, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Saturday and said the former Prime Minister left “indelible imprint” on the country.
Addressing the Indira Gandhi Prize award ceremony here, Sonia Gandhi said Indira Gandhi had firm belief in the value of education as an instrument of social emancipation and empowerment.
“Indira Gandhi left an indelible imprint on our country. She continues to be applauded and admired for her numerous achievements.
“Even her critics recognize that there was an unchanging core to her personality that defined who she was and what she did – that is, her fierce commitment to an all-inclusive patriotism; her staunch secularism; her indomitable courage and fortitude; her empathy for the poor and instinctive rapport with the people; her unwavering support to self-reliance in all fields, especially in science and technology; her firm belief in the value of education as an instrument of social emancipation and empowerment; and her passionate conviction in environmental conservation and protection of biodiversity, even as India strove for a faster pace of economic growth,” she said.
The former Congress President said Indira Gandhi would have been pleased that the prize for 2021 is recognizing work done in the field of education and had noted that right education transforms the small into the great.
Sonia Gandhi said Pratham, which was conferred the award, is a remarkable institution that in less than thirty years has made a name for itself in the field of education, not only in India but globally as well.
“It has achieved much in making school education more meaningful and impactful, first and foremost for students themselves. It has brought new thinking not only in pedagogy but also in monitoring and evaluating as an aid to improve learning outcomes. Its reports and analysis have influenced the public discourse on primary and secondary education in different states where its engagement has offered a very productive example of public-private partnerships,” Sonia Gandhi said.
“The citation, of course, enumerates its accomplishments in some detail, which assume even greater importance with the new emphasis on digital learning, some of which is technology-driven and necessitated by the Covid pandemic,” she added .
The Congress leader said that Indira Gandhi having spent a year at Shantiniketan herself, was alive to the need for innovation in education, which she strove for during her tenure as Prime Minister.
Sonia Gandhi said that for over three and a half decades, since its institution in 1985, the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, has been conferred on a wide array of distinguished men and women.
“Their work has exemplified the values Indira Gandhi cherished, the ideals she espoused, and the causes she championed. Every once in a while institutions and organisations too are recognized for their contributions in areas very close to her heart,” she said.
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