Intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national identity: Pranab Mukherjee
NAGPUR: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said that the ‘country’s national identity has emerged through a long drawn process of confluence, assimilation and co existence’ and any ‘attempt’ at defining the country’s nationhood in terms of dogmas and identities of religion, region, hatred and intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national identity’.
Mukherjee was speaking at the Reshimbaug grounds at the RSS headquarters during the occasion of Tritiya varsha ( a graduation ceremony of RSS functionaries).
Giving a historical perspective of the different kingdoms and conquests of India over the years, Mukherjee said, “Throughout this period of 2500 years of changing political fortunes and conquests, the 5000 year old civilizational continuity remained unbroken. In fact, each conqueror and each foreign element has been absorbed to form a new synthesis and unity”.
Mukherjee said that the ‘ soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Securlarism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture that which makes us in to one nation. India’s Nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy,”said Mukherjee.
He added, “ It is the perennial universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages and 1600 dialects in their everyday lives…Major ethnic groups, Aryans, Dravidians, Mongoloids live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bhartiya and have ‘no Enemies’. This is what makes Bharat a diverse and united nation.”
Mukherjee spoke of the increased ‘violence around us.’ “ Every time a child or woman is brutalized, the soul of India is wounded. Manifestations of rage are tearing our social fabric. Every day we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal.”
He added, “ only a non violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of people in the democratic process.
He ended his speech by saying that people are at the centre of all activities of the state and nothing should be done to divide the people and create animosity amongst them. “ Let the objective of spreading peace, harmony and Happiness inform the formulation of our public policy and guide all the actions of ourstate and citizens in their every day life. This and only this will be able to create a happy nation, where Nationalism flows automatically.”
Mukherjee was speaking at the Reshimbaug grounds at the RSS headquarters during the occasion of Tritiya varsha ( a graduation ceremony of RSS functionaries).
Giving a historical perspective of the different kingdoms and conquests of India over the years, Mukherjee said, “Throughout this period of 2500 years of changing political fortunes and conquests, the 5000 year old civilizational continuity remained unbroken. In fact, each conqueror and each foreign element has been absorbed to form a new synthesis and unity”.
Mukherjee said that the ‘ soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Securlarism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture that which makes us in to one nation. India’s Nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy,”said Mukherjee.
He added, “ It is the perennial universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages and 1600 dialects in their everyday lives…Major ethnic groups, Aryans, Dravidians, Mongoloids live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bhartiya and have ‘no Enemies’. This is what makes Bharat a diverse and united nation.”
Mukherjee spoke of the increased ‘violence around us.’ “ Every time a child or woman is brutalized, the soul of India is wounded. Manifestations of rage are tearing our social fabric. Every day we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal.”
He added, “ only a non violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of people in the democratic process.
He ended his speech by saying that people are at the centre of all activities of the state and nothing should be done to divide the people and create animosity amongst them. “ Let the objective of spreading peace, harmony and Happiness inform the formulation of our public policy and guide all the actions of ourstate and citizens in their every day life. This and only this will be able to create a happy nation, where Nationalism flows automatically.”