Mumbai: Addressing the convocation ceremony of the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday delivered a wide-ranging and impassioned speech that traversed themes of national security, demographic shifts, caste-based enumeration, and India’s civilisational identity.
Framing his address in the context of current governance and geopolitical realities, Dhankhar issued stark warnings about illegal migration, coerced religious conversions, and the manipulation of demographic balances.
Setting the tone for his address, the Vice President stressed the foundational importance of peace in a thriving democracy. “Peace is quintessential, fundamental for the survival of democracy. Never forget, peace is secured from a position of strength,” he said.
Underscoring the fragile yet vital balance between security and freedom, Dhankhar added, “Democracy can blossom and prosper only in peace that is earned through strength, effective security, economic resilience, internal harmony.”
He warned that history has shown peace is sustainable only when nations are prepared for conflict: “Invasions can be thwarted and peace secured only when we are ever ready for war. Bharat has sent a global message. No longer shall we tolerate terrorism. We will liquidate it and destroy the source of it.”
Moving to matters of internal security and social cohesion, Dhankhar described illegal migration and forced religious conversions as existential threats. He spoke of deliberate demographic alterations as part of a larger orchestrated agenda, stating, “When demographic balances are manipulated not by organic evolution but by sinister orchestrated design, then it is no longer a question of migration — it is a question of demographic invasion.”
Citing official figures, he declared, “Bharat has suffered it. There are millions of illegal migrants. Can we suffer from them? We need people in this country who are committed to our civilisation, who believe in ‘Bharatiyata’, who believe in our nationalism, who are prepared to lay down their lives for the nation.”
On religious conversions, Dhankhar cautioned against what he described as the “weaponisation of faith”: “Equally disturbing, worrisome, of deep concern is the weaponisation of faith through coerced or induced conversion. Where belief is replaced by inducement, every belief has to be voluntary, optional. It is induced by allurement! and choice by agenda. These are not isolated incidents.”
In a significant endorsement of the government’s policy direction, Dhankhar hailed the inclusion of caste-based enumeration in the upcoming census. He described it as a milestone for equitable governance.
“The recent decision by the Government of India — a game-changing decision, a milestone in governance — is to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming decadal census. This will be transformative.”
Highlighting the data-driven implications, he said, “If inequalities are there, they generate and breed inequities. That is not the essence of governance… Institutions like IIPS are uniquely positioned to play a crucial, critical role in interpreting such data and proposing inclusive solutions.”
Calling for a renaissance of authentic public dialogue, the Vice President invoked India’s spiritual and intellectual traditions.
“Authentic discourse is our core civilisational value. We cannot have rhetoric. We cannot have jingoism… Our heritage, drawn from Upanishads and Dharmashastras, celebrates dialogue over dogma, restraint over rage.”
He distinguished between the inclusive spirit of Hinduism and majoritarian impulses, asserting, “The Hinduism majority deeply rooted in the civilisational spirit has never been guided by majoritarianism. People mistake it. Hinduism majority is not majoritarianism. These impulses are antithetical to us.”
In his closing remarks, Dhankhar outlined his vision for India’s future, rooted in the “three Ds”: Demography, Democracy, and Diversity.
“These three Ds define the soul of new Bharat… Demography represents the dynamic human capital that fuels the engine of progress. Democracy provides a robust framework for collective decision-making… Diversity? India represents to the entire world what diversity is.”
He called on institutions like IIPS to use their research to “awaken those who need to address these challenges that have taken monstrous dimensions,” concluding that population data must be leveraged not just for development, but to secure the nation’s social and cultural harmony.
(IANS)
