Potential to re-construct, correct distorted Indian history: Venkaiah Naidu

Eminent archaeologist G B Deglurkar was the recipient of the Punyabhushan Award this year.

The Vice-President also urged fellow Indians to unite and fight to wipe out prevailing social evils. “The entire world is looking up to India. All existing social evils based on caste, creed, religion, sex and region must be done away with as we are one nation and one people. We must strive to promote our culture, which is a way of life, besides working to maintain peace and harmony in the country. There is a need to change the mindset of our younger generation, who should be told about our rich history and past. Only then will India be a strong nation,” said Naidu.

Calling archaeology a science that was far more credible than other sciences, Naidu said, “Archaeology is the bridge between the past and the present. All information made available through archaeological excavations give confirmation of our past. This will lead to re-discovery of our history and ancestry.”

Speaking on the occasion, Deglurkar said, “Though archaeology and archaeologists are not considered as progressive by other scholars, our contribution is to reconstruct and present the real history through excavations.”

During his address, the Vice-President lauded the contributions of two of the city’s prominent institutions — Deccan College and Post Graduate Institute, and Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), which have been working in the fields of Sanskrit, Archaeology and ancient history.

“Pune has given birth to so many scholars and freedom fighters. I urge educational institutions in the city to work towards imparting skills for youngsters and simultaneously engaging them with our ancient past in order to keep our roots strong,” said Naidu.