By andalib akhter /
Emphasising on the need of pluralism and tolerance, President Pranab Mukherjee today asked people to remain alert to communal tensions, which he said rearing its ugly face everywhere in the country.
“Pluralism and tolerance have been the hallmark of Indian civilisation” President said while delivering the Arjun Singh memorial lecture in New Delhi today.
Mr Mukherjee said in a pluralistic democracy, it was important that the values of tolerance, respect for contrary views and patience are inculcated amongst the citizens particularly the youth.
The President said in a pluralistic democracy, it is important that the values of tolerance, respect for contrary views and patience are inculcated amongst the citizens particularly the youth.
” Pluralism and tolerance is a core philosophy that must continue undeterred. India is a multi-faceted nation of 1.3 billion people, 122 languages, 1600 dialects and 7 religions. This cannot be turned into fiction due to the whims and caprices of few individuals. Plurality of our society has come about through assimilation of ideas over centuries’ he said.
” The multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. We derive our strength from tolerance. It has been part of our collective consciousness for centuries. It has worked well for us and it is the only way it will work for us. There are divergent strands in public discourse. We may argue. We may not agree. But we cannot deny the essential prevalence of multiplicity of opinion. Otherwise, a fundamental character of our thought process will wither away” president underlined .
The President quoted Gandhiji and said “Religion is a force for unity; we cannot make it a cause of conflict”. The harmony of faiths in India stands out as an important moral example in a world where several regions have been torn apart by sectarian conflicts. We must continue to lead by example. We must work towards maintaining the continuing goodwill amongst different communities.
He said diversity of the country cannot be turned into fiction due to the whims of a rigid few.
The President also emphasized that democracy is not all about numbers and called for consensus building.
Mr. Mukherjee said India derives its strength from tolerance which has been part of its collective consciousness for centuries and it was the only way it will work well for the country.
Remembering Arjun Singh, the President said Arjun Singhji was one leader whose heart and mind was rooted to the ground. He never lost his simplicity to power, nor did he lose his concern for the common man. He dedicated himself to the building of a strong nation based on the values of secularism and democracy which he dearly cherished.
Pointing out Shri Arjun Singh’s contribution in the field of education, the President said with over eight years, Arjun Singhji had the longest tenure as Human Resource Development Minister after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The education landscape in India naturally had a considerable imprint of the policies that Arjun Singhji had pursued.