Karnataka, engine of the economy, a mini-India that draws: President

“Karnataka’s dreams are not for Karnataka alone; they are dreams for all of India,” said President Ram Nath Kovind.

Addressing ‘Vajramahothsava’, the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations to mark completion of 60 years of the Vidhana Soudha and while addressing members of both Houses of the Karnataka Legislature in Bengaluru on Wednesday, the President said: “Karnataka is an engine of the Indian economy. It is a mini-India that draws – without losing its cultural and linguistic distinctiveness – youth from all over the country. They come here for knowledge and for jobs, and they give their labour and intellect. Everybody gains.”

This is a land with ancient Jain and Buddhist traditions. Adi Shankaracharya founded the math in Sringeri in this very state. Gulbarga is a centre of Sufi culture. The reformist Lingayat movement under spiritual leaders such as Basavacharya was also located in Karnataka. In their own way, each of these currents has contributed to nation building.

Karnataka is a land of formidable soldiers. Krishnadeva Raya was the greatest ruler of the Vijayanagara empire, and remains an inspiration for all Indians. Kempe Gowda was the founder of Bengaluru. Rani Chennamma of Kittur and Rani Abbakka led among the earliest battles against colonial powers.

Tipu Sultan died a heroic death fighting the British. He was also a pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans. More recently, two of our finest army chiefs – Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General K.S. Thimayya – were sons of Karnataka.

This is also the seat of education, technology and science. The engineer-statesman M. Visvesvaraya was a builder of modern Karnataka and of modern India. He was responsible for major irrigation projects that continue to help farmers to this day.

The Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Space Research Organisation are among the crown jewel institutions of the country that are based in Bengaluru. The dynamism of its entrepreneurs has made Bengaluru India’s IT capital. It is known the world over as the Silicon City.

It is not just the 60th birthday of the Vidhana Soudha that is being celebrated. The day marks the diamond jubilee of the debates and discussions in the two Houses, of legislations that have been passed and policies that have been shaped for the betterment of the lives of the people of Karnataka, said the President.

Both Houses of the Legislature jointly and collectively represent the will and aspirations of the people of Karnataka. Not just that, the two Houses also represent the ideals and optimism and the energy and dynamism of the Kannadiga people, he said.

He further said “This building is a monument to the history of public service in Karnataka. A galaxy of political stalwarts have participated in the proceedings of the two Houses that meet here. They have spoken in many memorable debates.”

The President said legislators are both public servants as well as nation builders. Indeed, anybody who performs his or her duty with honesty and dedication is a nation builder.

“Those who maintain this building are nation builders. Those who provide it security are nation builders. It is by the efforts of ordinary citizens, who diligently carry out everyday tasks, that nations are built. As legislators sit and work in this Vidhan Soudha, he was confident they will never forget this and will continue to draw inspiration from it,” he said.