Kolkata, Feb 25 In an apparent broadside at the Mamata Banerjee regime, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, here on Tuesday, said intolerance was antithetical to sublimity of education, and added friction between Raj Bhawan and the government was stressful to universities.
Addressing the fourth convocation of the West Bengal State University, Dhankhar said there were some worrisome issues facing the state's educational institutions, which needed urgent attention.
"Our colleges and universities are facing great challenges. As the Chancellor and the Governor, I am working hard to secure healthy practices and seamless working. There has been some positive headway. Friction between the Raj Bhawan and the government is stressful to universities. I am trying to neutralise it," Dhankhar said.
Dhankhar, who has time and again accused the Mamata government of intolerance, said disagreement should not turn into adversarial relations. "Intolerance is antithetical to sublimity of education. We must be open to others' ideas. The other point of view calls for considerate appreciation. Experience has shown, more often than not, the other point of view turns out to be the correct point of view," he said.
Stating that we must learn to disagree with grace, Dhankhar said it would be in consonance with the age-old culture and ethos.
"There are some worrisome issues as regards to educational institutions that call for urgent attention. I am engaged to find an acceptable, wholesome approach to address these in togetherness," he said.
The Governor appealed everybody to reflect and be on board in the interest of education. "We can't afford violence on campuses or elsewhere. Given the current scenario, we need to work in that direction on urgent basis, as that's quintessential for growth on incremental trajectory," he said.
Stating that the sight of a degree-holder without employment was a frightening spectacle, frequently witnessed these days, Dhankhar urged the government and the industry to provide jobs to them.
Calling education a ray of light in the darkness, he said, "This ray can impact positively only in healthy environment in our temples of education. We need to secure that environment".
( With inputs from IANS )