Pranab Mukherjee gives RSS a lesson on India’s ‘soul of pluralism’

Speaking at RSS headquarters on June 7, former President Pranab Mukherjee did some plain-speaking on nationalism and patriotism to RSS cadre, telling them that India's multiple faiths and cultures made it tolerant and that the soul of the nation resided in its pluralism and secularism.

Calling for a dialogue to balance competing interests and reconcile them, he made it clear that hatred dilutes nationalism and intolerance will dilute national identity. "Divergent stands in public discourse have to be recognised."

Sharing "some truths that I have internalised during my 50 year long public life" as a parliamentarian and administrator, he said the soul of India resided in "pluralism and tolerance. This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation," he said, while addressing the third year annual training camp at the RSS headquarters here even as his acceptance of the invitation to the event came in for strong criticism from Congress leaders and Left parties.

Invoking the vision of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, Mukherjee said India's nationhood was not one language, one religion or one enemy. "It's the perennial one universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages, 1,600 dialects in their every day lives, practice seven major religions, belong to three major ethnic groups... live under one system, one flag and one identity of being 'Bharatiya' and have no enemies. That is what makes India a diverse and united nation," he said, speaking in English and peppering his speech with some words and phrases from his mother tongue Bengali.

More top quotes from Mukherjee’s 30-minute speech:

• Only a non-violent society can ensure participation of all sections of people in the democratic process, especially marginalised and dispossesed. We must move from violence, anger and conflict to peace, harmony and happiness. Our motherland is asking for that. Our motherland deserves that
• On 26 January 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect. Democracy became our most precious guide towards peace and regeneration from the swamp of poverty created by centuries of colonial rule. For us, democracy is not a gift, but a sacred trust.
• From our Constitution flows our nationalism. The construct of Indian nationalism is Constitutional patriotism which consists of an appreciation of our inherited and shared diversity, readiness to enact one citizenship at different levels and an ability to self correct and learn from others
• We derive our strength from tolerance. We accept and respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity. Any attempt at defining our nationhood in terms of dogmas and identities of religion, region, hatred and intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national identity.
• Kautilya shloka, प्रजासुखे सुखं राज्ञः प्रजानां च हिते हितम् । नात्मप्रियं हितं राज्ञः प्रजानां तु प्रियं हितम् succinctly tells us that in the happiness of people lies the happiness of the king, their welfare is his welfare. The State is for the people.
• India's Nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy. It is Perennial Universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages and 1,600 dialects, practice 7 major religions and belong to 3 major ethnic groups, live under one system, one flag & one identity of being भारतीय (Indian)
• People are at the centre of all activities of the State and nothing should be done to divide them. The aim of the State should be to galvanise them to fight a concerted war against poverty, disease and deprivation. Only then can we create a nation where nationalism flows automatically

With IANS inputs.

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