India News | Don't Forget Your Roots, Kailash Satyarthi Tells Students at Varsity Convocation in Kolkata

Kolkata, Feb 9 (PTI) Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi has urged young students not to forget their roots and the contributions of those who have helped them along the way.

Addressing the convocation of Adamas University at Barasat, about 30 km from here, Satyarthi emphasised the importance of gratitude and recognition for the efforts of teachers, family members, and others who have played a role in their lives.

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"We all know today is a very special day, one of the highest points, one of the happiest moments of your life. I know how you must be feeling as you are going to get degrees shortly. But you should not forget that today is also the day of gratitude," the 70-year-old founder of 'Bachpan Bachao Andolan' said.

Satyarthi reminded the graduating students not to overlook their first teachers, whether it be their parents, primary school teachers, or others who taught them the basics of reading and writing.

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Stating the successful candidates can always be thankful to their professor on this day of convocation, Satyarthi, who was the co-recipient of the Nobel peace prize in 2014 with Malala Yousafzai, reminded, "Don't forget your first teacher - who could be your mother, father, teacher in primary school - anyone who taught you reading and writing first."

He also highlighted the importance of acknowledging the labourers, cleaners, and workers whose efforts often go unnoticed but are essential for society to function smoothly.

"Don't forget those who cleaned your hostel toilets, your electrician, labourers. The food you eat is not produced by you. The karigar who stitches your clothes, those who built this university. You have to remember them and that will make you a better human being," Satyarthi, also winner of the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award, said.

Drawing from his own experiences, Satyarthi shared a poignant childhood memory of encountering a cobbler's son who could not attend school due to economic hardships.

This encounter left a lasting impression on him and fuelled his determination to fight for the rights of underprivileged children.

"That image remained with me and I asked the teacher why a child is sitting outside the school and not inside the class like us. The teacher replied poor children have to support their families. I was not satisfied. I got similar replies from my parents and other elders," Satyarthi, also the founder of Global March Against Child Labour, said.

"Then one day, I gathered all my courage and went to that child. As I asked the boy, his father replied babuji, my father and other elders used to do the same thing (work as cobblers). Now my son will be doing the same thing," Satyarthi said.

"Then he said Babuji, you boys are born to dream, go to school. We are not born to have such a dream in our lives," Satyarthi said, recalling the words of a poor elderly person he heard at a very young age.

He said the words became "a challenge in my life".

He encouraged students to dream big and emphasized the importance of problem-solving skills in realising those dreams.

Satyarthi stressed the need to confront injustices and work towards creating a better world.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Suranjan Das highlighted the values of pluralism and multiculturalism as foundational principles of a modern university.

He emphasised the importance of fostering inclusivity and critical thinking among students to contribute to an assimilative civilisation.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)