TN Guv exhorts students to dream big, resolve to make those dreams come true

RN Ravi was delivering the fifth convocation address at Anant National University.

RN Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, encouraged students to dream big, resolve to make those dreams come true and work hard with passion to achieve them. A few years down the line, he urged students to look back and ask themselves how they contributed to the making of the country. He added that if the students accomplish their dreams with rigour and passion, the answer will bring them fulfilment and contentment. He urged the students to follow their passion and keep growing because the nation grows when the students grow.

“It is all up to you. I have made it. You can make it. There is no reason why you can’t so dream big, work hard with a Zunun and achieve it. Remember question, I’m putting you to you, the answer of which you will keep searching. But on 15th of August 2047 you will ask this. You will seek answer to this question on August 15th, 2047. When you are my young friends, you would be at the helms of life and affairs. You ask a question, what did I do for this making this country great. This question should be before you through your entire journey. The answer to this question, will give you the fulfillment, contentment and meaning to your life. What did you do as an individual to make this country great? We call it Mata, Bharat Mata. It has numerous languages, it speaks numerous languages and Mahakavi Subramania Bharatiyar, a great revolutionary, freedom fighter and a great poet he described Bharat Mata.”

“When I meet my young friends, I often remind them, you are like seeds of a Banyan tree. I do not know how many of you have seen the seeds of a Banyan tree. Those from the rural background must have seen it. A mammoth, huge Banyan tree, tiny fruits. And within the Tiny Fruits you are still Tiny Seed. But in that tiny seed is hidden a mammoth tree.

You are that seed. You must grow what your destiny is and your destiny is to grow like a banyan tree. Don’t get daunted by the hurdles, by the obstacles, because every chunaothi, every challenge, every hurdle makes you stronger,” Ravi inspired the students.

Ravi said India has undergone a “visible transformation” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and now the country is at the centre stage of world affairs.

“If anyone who tries to understand India from any literature, study or analysis which is a decade or older, it is rather irrelevant. Today, our country is not what it was a decade ago. A country populous but at the margin of world affairs, a country mired in pessimism, diffidence, accepting tardiness and poverty as established norms,” he said.

“Today, India is at the centre stage of world affairs. When the Prime Minister of India speaks, the world listens with attention. In every field our country is experiencing millions of revolutions. Today, transformation is visible,” he said.

The country was experiencing comprehensive transformation at unprecedented speed and scale, he added.

“Till about a decade ago, we had the dubious distinction of being a country with over 60 per cent open defecation. And we did not even talk about it. People used to say it is a cultural issue. Instead of building toilets, it became a cultural issue. Within a few years, this huge country of 140 crores became open defecation free, thanks to people’s participation,” he said.

India is the most digitized country in the world and the country’s digital transaction per day accounts for 45 per cent of the global digital transactions, he said.

“This is digital India. The trinity of Jan Dhan (bank accounts), Aadhaar and mobile (phones) is acknowledged world over. And advanced countries are studying it with curiosity,” the Tamil Nadu governor said.

On the issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Ravi said India “kept suffering” despite knowing the neighbouring country was involved in it.

“But what happened after Pulwama (attack)? After Pulwama, they got a taste of it, that there will be a cost, and the cost will be heavy. We hit them back deep inside in their belly. And now, thereafter, we have peace. On every front, our country is moving forward. Transforming itself. A new country, a new Bharat is emerging,” he said.

This has been made possible because the “national leadership” understands Bharat, Ravi asserted.

Whenever a high-level Chinese delegation came to India or an Indian delegation went to China, the Chinese military would move forward and try to capture some territory, he said, adding something similar happened in September 2014 when Chinese President Xi Jinping was on a visit to India.

“At that time, they moved their troops to southern Ladakh and captured territory. It used to happen. It was predictable. But when this happened, the Prime Minister said push them back. And they were pushed back,” said Ravi.

“They were made to vacate what they had captured, pushed back. And when the Chinese president said Mr Prime Minister ‘this is a small issue and we’ll resolve it’ the PM said ‘no Mr President it is not a small problem,” Ravi said.

264 students graduate at 5^th convocation

“This day recognises the inspiring journey that our graduates have completed, both academic and extracurricular, under the guidance of the world-class Anant faculty, stellar peer group and the unwavering support of their family. It gives me immense pleasure to see the university achieve new heights and our students as the architects of our continued success”, said Ajay Piramal, President of Anant National University and Chairman of Piramal Group. 

Congratulating the students,Dr. Anunaya Chaubey, Provost, Anant National University, said, “The convocation ceremony celebrates the hard work of our students, who have emerged as empathetic problem solvers. I am confident that our solutionaries will create a meaningful impact using the skills and values they have learned at Anant and contribute towards building a just, equitable and sustainable future for India and the world.”

The Convocation saw the graduation of 264 students across diverse programmes, including Bachelor of Design (BDes), Master of Design (MDes), Bachelor of Architecture (BArch), Anant Fellowship in Built Environment, and Anant Fellowship for Climate Action.

The convocation ceremony also recognised 36 outstanding students with awards across 14 categories, spanning all programmes, ranging from academic excellence to best innovation, best graduation project to best thesis.