Childhood is the very foundation of one's life. The impacts and impressions that are created in a growing mind go a long way in shaping one's personality. A responsible society needs to realize this deeply and pay priority attention to its importance. Only a healthy childhood can produce wholesome and worthy people; and people are the very force and power behind any nation.

It is only through meaningful education that a country can be blessed with people of fine caliber and character. The glory of India still lies only in its ancient past and its ancient advanced society, which lived in peace, harmony and prosperity. Our children today are witnessing along with us, utter deterioration, degeneration and destruction all round – socially, culturally, economically, spiritually and morally.

It is unfortunate that we have to witness today the crumbling of our great nation's morale. We live in a period where India stands impoverished in its noble and profound wisdom. We cannot afford to remain in our slumber of indifference and ignorance towards an urgent need. Yes: We need a renaissance today – and this has to come first in education, which forms the basis of an individual's development.

As Indians, we need to regain our moralistic strength and realign the value structure in our children today. We need to make India rise up again in the eyes of the world and help her stand with her head held high. This can be made possible only if all of us work together with commitment and selflessness. Generations have gone by without an awakening to this cause; we cannot afford to lay back further. We as a conscious society must not incur the condemnation of the generations yet to come, that we failed in our duty to save the spirit, glory and heritage of our land.

To experience at least a little of our truly advanced ancient India once again and to rediscover it for our children, let us begin with the right approach to education. Let us pledge to give our country once again the kind of people that we can be proud of. Let India see once again, the likes of our ancestors who stood as symbols of high thinking, simple living and an inspiration to the entire world. It is not a sacrifice but our duty to protect and save our motherland that bears, nurtures and nourishes it. To our Dharma Bhoomi Bharat and to the lineage of great masters and teachers of this land, I dedicate the mission I have taken up for the cause of education.

I look forward to every one of you to join and patronise me in this reform movement – which I place as an offering to our "Little Great People" – our children.

Let us wake up, as in this awakening only, lies the future of our children.

- Latha Rajinikanth