President A P J Abdul Kalam on Saturday said there was a need to jointly fight communal differences and insurgency in the country, as people want a peaceful, prosperous and secure India.
"Most of the states I visited, are maintaining communal harmony. There are a few states suffering from insurgency," he said inaugurating the two-day Governors Conference convened by him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Recalling his visit to various states, he said, "It is visible everywhere that people are against violence and want to live in a peaceful, prosperous and secure India."
The President said governors have a key role to play in the development of the state. "It is essential that the governors and the governments in the States work harmoniously to achieve the ultimate aim of integrated development," he said.
Stressing on this, Kalam said any nation in development mode might have difference of opinions --- be it political, managerial or Centre-state relationship. "The governors have a positive role to play to bring about unity of minds," he said.
On the networking of rivers for which the government has set up a task force, the President said the governors can play a salutary role in creating a climate of consensus amongst the states to facilitate the linking of the river-systems for the overall good of the nation.
The President told the gathering that every state should aspire to be economically ahead, maintain peace and prosperity. Only if the states develop can the nation develop, he said.
He said governors, being statesmen and having vast experience, are best suited to advice beyond any political considerations to the people
The President said it was essential to launch a state-centre joint programme to fight the ravages of drought by using short time high yield desert seeds, creation of temporary water sources, fodder development and management programmes.
The President said after his travels within the country, he was convinced that people want to live in a prosperous India.
"In the rural areas, when I visited primary schools, they wanted high schools, when I visited high schools they wanted colleges, when i visited colleges they wanted professional colleges," he said.
"The right type of higher education has become the necessity from both students and parents point of view. However, scarcity of good teachers is visible everywhere. Good teaching and interactive teaching are possible through tele-education," he said.
Refering to a mobile clinic in Uttaranchal, which is used for diagnosis and treatment by about 150 to 200 rural people everyday, he said the Centre and state governments should encourage such clinics in villages on priority.
Referring to the Northeastern States, Kalam said physical connectivity through roads, electronic connectivity through reliable communication network, and knowledge connectivity through more professional and vocational training institutions will have to be brought about for emergence of economic connectivity.
Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and a number of Union ministers were among those present at the conference attended by governors from 28 states, including three Lieutenant Governors.
