Pondicherry: Describing corruption as "cancer against development," President A P J Abdul Kalam today (Nov 1, 2004) asked the student community to wage a war and crusade against corruption in the country.

"Though there are national laws to fight corruption, they were not effective to combat the evil, and therefore young students must start a movement to fight against this menace in the country," he said, deviating from the prepared text of his address at the 15th convocation of the Pondicherry University in Pondicherry this afternoon.

Kalam said he had already started the "movement" to fight corruption.

"There are nearly 250 million households in the country and if each boy or a girl from each household takes the lead role and also lead a honest life free from corruption, you will set an example," he pointed out.

He appealed to the student community to take a pledge to fight against corruption, teach at least 10 persons to read and write, plant 10 saplings, go to rural areas to transform at least five persons and change their habits of addiction to drugs and gambling and "not to support any differentiation on the basis of religion, community or language."

"Rather a tough job, is it not? He asked, amid applause from the students.