'Not against rose day, but also celebrate Tamil day, Kerala day'

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he was not against students observing a “rose day” but suggested that colleges in a state also celebrate the culture of another region — such as Tamil day being marked in Haryana.

Such cultural exchanges will ensure that a day is celebrated and is productive as well, he told a students’ convention here to mark 125 years of Swami Vivekananda’s address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago and the birth centenary celebrations of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.

“Different days are celebrated in colleges. Sometimes it is a rose day. Some people are against it and a few of them may be present here. I am not opposed to it,” Modi said, striking a lighter note as the young audience applauded. Stressing the need for creativity, he said, “We don’t have to prepare robots; we need creativity. There is no better place than a university campus to express ourselves and our sensibilities”.

Modi then came up with some suggestions for students. “Does it ever occur to us to celebrate Tamil day in a Haryana college? That a college in Punjab decides it will celebrate Kerala day? We (students) will sing their songs, dress like them…,” he said.

These festivals will help make ‘Ek Bharat, shreshthabharat’ (One India, great India), he said. While slogans celebrating India’s diversity were raised, efforts should also be made to kindle a spirit of pride over this, Modi said, adding that people should be proud of every state and language.

He also referred to sacrifices of Sikh gurus and said they should also be remembered on campuses. Punjab stood for much more than ‘bhangra’, he said.