SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SMT. PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE BIRLA ORPHAN VILLAGE

Hanoi, Vietnam, 26th November 2008

I am happy to visit the Birla Children Village. I am glad that this institution is playing a great role in bringing up and providing sustenance for the future generation. Children are the future and we have to teach them values and how to be responsible individuals.

At the same time they teach us all, the qualities of enthusiasm, curiosity and simplicity. For these reasons, it is said that child is the father of mankind.

I am especially thankful to the People's Committee of Hanoi which has been supporting this Orphanage. It is a charitable and a noble cause. President Ho Chi Minh was known as Uncle Ho by the Vietnamese children and used to spend a lot of time with them. He visited India in February 1958. At that time, Pandit Nehru was the Prime Minister of India. He also loved children.

Incidentally children in India called him "Chacha Nehru". Chacha is the Indian word for Uncle. President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Nehru believed in the potential and ability of children as well the importance of friendship.

It was President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who laid the solid foundation for the India-Vietnam relationship which is growing from strength to strength, despite the changing world around us.

It is our wish that India and Vietnam continue to march together, sharing higher growth, cooperating in education and social sectors as well as increasing trade and investment. I am confident that there will be continuing amity between the children of India and Vietnam.

Today, I am delighted to be here in the company of wonderful children. I hope our modest contribution would be of some use to them. I would like them to work hard, acquire knowledge, learn skills and become good citizens of Vietnam.

I also wish that they spend some time learning about India so that when they grow up, they can contribute to the friendship between India and Vietnam. My visit to this place has been one of the most memorable parts of my visit to Vietnam and I will always remember these beautiful children.

I conclude with the advice

"chuc cac chau ngoan ngoan hoc gioi"

(Be good children and learn well.)

Thank you very much.