UP Guv calls for "laxman rekha", "maryada" in public life

Expressing regret over the ongoing acerbic war of words between the BJP and BSP, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today remarked that leaders of both the political parties must never breach the "laxman rekha" of decorum (maryada) in public life.
"The flare up of tempers suggests that elections are just around the corner. Leaders of political parties tend to go overboard in such times. But it must be heeded by all that while heated debates are fine, nobody can be allowed to cross the laxman rekha of maryada in public life," Naik told reporters here.
The Governor was responding to queries on the recent spat triggered by a comment against BSP supremo Mayawati by the expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh.

"The matter is now being looked into by the High Court. The state government is also seized of the matter and we hope that proper action will be taken.
"The need of the hour is to maintain calm and avoid stoking the fire", he said.
Naik, who was in the city to attend a meeting convened by an association of teachers of unaided colleges, expressed concern over "exploitation" in such institutions and "commercialisation" of education.

"We have heard about many instances wherein the management of a college pays to its teachers an amount much less than what it shows in the records. This rapacity must be checked.

Accordingly, Naik said the company has "identified select
growth businesses in L&T's broad portfolio. These include IT, technology services, defence, smart world and water management.
"Our strategic plan involves re-allocation of resources - both talent and capital - to businesses with visible value creation potential. As most of these are also asset-light businesses, the initiative will be in line with our larger objective of building an asset-light organisation".
He also said this growth will be a technology-driven leadership drive and the mission is profitable growth through technology leadership.
"Since 2000, we have developed and rigorously implemented a five-year strategic planning process. We are now in the fourth wave of this programme," he said, adding that to achieve the set objectives, the company has partnered with two global strategic consultancies.

Naik, who will turn 75 in 2017, has pledged nearly 75 per cent of his wealth for philanthropy.
"I was motivated by my grandfather and father to give back something to the society. In 1995, I donated Rs 4 lakh for constructing one floor to a hospital in my village. I am also building a CBSE school and a hospital close to L&T's Powai campus," he said.
Apart from this, Naik is also keen on developing a vedic school.
"I keep donating to marriage halls, thread ceremony halls, etc. I want to promote Vedic education and I've already donated for a school which is coming up in an ashram in Gujarat for the purpose," he added.

He already runs two charitable trusts - The Naik Charitable Trusts for Education & Skill Training and the Nirali Memorial Medical Trust, named after his granddaugther, who died of cancer in 2007.