Universities should be free from physical and mental violence: President Pranab Mukherjee
KOLKATA: Indians should commit to create an atmosphere in which they would be able to accept criticism from others as argumentative, but they should never be branded as Intolerant, said President Pranab Mukherjee in his invocation speech in IIM(C).
"Let us commit (to) ourselves that we will accept the criticism of others as argumentative. But let us not be described by others as intolerant. I do hope that this will be acceptable to you," the President of India told the students here in Kolkata.
Stressing on the need of a violence free environment in the educational institutions, President Mukherjee said, "For last few months I have been saying this wherever I am getting chance to voice my opinion . The universities , the highest institutions of education should be free from violence , and it is not only physical violence , I mean. I am also talking about mental violence."
"In ancient age, there were these highest seats of education like Takshashila and Nalanda. These institutions had space for free thinking , expression of liberal views. So what we achieved in past , and in recent past, not even remote past, can be achieved again," he added.
President also advocated for free debate, disagreement, but there should not be confrontation, he added.
Concluding his speech, the President said that he had deviated from his convocation-speech a bit as he wanted to speak from his heart. "As a fellow Calcuttan, as the son of soil, I thought I should frankly express my views. If I hurt anybody's sentiment, I apologise," he said.
"Let us commit (to) ourselves that we will accept the criticism of others as argumentative. But let us not be described by others as intolerant. I do hope that this will be acceptable to you," the President of India told the students here in Kolkata.
Stressing on the need of a violence free environment in the educational institutions, President Mukherjee said, "For last few months I have been saying this wherever I am getting chance to voice my opinion . The universities , the highest institutions of education should be free from violence , and it is not only physical violence , I mean. I am also talking about mental violence."
"In ancient age, there were these highest seats of education like Takshashila and Nalanda. These institutions had space for free thinking , expression of liberal views. So what we achieved in past , and in recent past, not even remote past, can be achieved again," he added.
President also advocated for free debate, disagreement, but there should not be confrontation, he added.
Concluding his speech, the President said that he had deviated from his convocation-speech a bit as he wanted to speak from his heart. "As a fellow Calcuttan, as the son of soil, I thought I should frankly express my views. If I hurt anybody's sentiment, I apologise," he said.
