Address And Interaction With The Children Of Muskan Orhanpage At Corps Officer'S Institute, Jammu And Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir : 26-11-2005
Children are our National Wealth
I am delighted to interact with the Children of Muskan. I am happy that this Muskan is giving a helping hand to the socially challenged children by providing better facilities and amenities with care and kindness to make them enlightened citizens. This is the greatest service to the humanity and therefore God will be always with you.
Children are our greatest wealth. Every child born in the nation should be allowed to blossom. It is particularly important to provide extra care and facilities to the children, of Muskan since you are the only ones on whom they are dependent on. I am happy that Army is providing this noble service as part of operation Sadbhavana. This will lead to the development of these beautiful children into enlightened citizens who will become an asset for our national development.
Friends, we should note that the human mind is a unique gift. Let us see how we can enrich our life through this resource.
I would like to describe an incident which took place in Rashtrapati Bhavan. On 27th November 2003, I met about 1000 differently challenged children, who were taking part in the Abilympics. They were extremely enthusiastic to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan and the environment gave them happiness. To that gathering, I recited a small poem, which runs like this:
We are all God's children,
Our minds are stronger than diamond.
We will win, win, win with our mighty will.
God is with us who can be against!
I have visited various homes in different parts of the country namely Dakshineswar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapeeth, Calcutta Muslim Girls Orphanage at Kolkata, Shraddhanand Mahilashram at Mumbai, Sivananda Ashram near Kancheepuram and Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai. These institutions are a model of total integration of the society without regional and religious bias. They are attempting to mould the inmates as enlightened citizens through value based education. In some places the orphanages are so designed that it houses both orphan children and older parents. Both provide emotional support to each other. I am happy that this model is being followed by Muskan also and the children are being provided education in Army school, BB Cantt., Goodwill school and Government school.
Muskan has a good bio-diversity park which promotes stress free learning and also becomes a natural education for the children. It also provides the children an opportunity to have first hand experience to work in the field and learn gardening. Now I ask all of you to take Six point oath.
Six Point Oath
1. I will pursue my education with dedication and I will excel in it.
2. I will plant at least 5 saplings and shall ensure their growth through constant care.
3. I will constantly endeavor to remove the pain of my suffering brethren.
4. I will work for becoming an enlightened citizen and make my family righteous.
5. I will always be a friend of the mentally and physically challenged and will work hard to make them feel normal, like the rest of us.
6. We the children of Jammu and Kashmir promise that we will work hard with honesty to transform our State into a developed, happy and prosperous State. Happy and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir will make happy and prosperous India.
My best wishes to all of you.
May God bless you.