Mukherjee cited Gandhiji's vision of India as an inclusive nation where every section of population lived in equality and enjoyed equal opportunity and said the essence of being human is 'our trust of each other'.
IndiaToday.in | Ahmedabad, December 1, 2015
Posted by Dianne Nongrum | UPDATED 13:27 IST
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday spoke about how the real dirt of India lies not on the streets but in the minds of the people due to their unwillingness to let go of the views that divide society into 'them' and 'us', 'pure' and 'impure'.
At a function in Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where he inaugurated the Archives and Research Centre, Mukherjee cited Gandhiji's vision of India as an inclusive nation where every section of population lived in equality and enjoyed equal opportunity and said the essence of being human is "our trust of each other".
"Every day, we see unprecedented violence all around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. While we invent new modes of combating this ever spiralling violence, we must not forget the power of non-violence, dialogue and reason," he said.
"We must make a success of the laudable and welcome Swatch Bharat Mission. However, this also must be seen as just the beginning of a much larger and intense effort to cleanse minds and fulfil Gandhiji's vision in all its aspects," said Mukherjee, who is on three-day maiden visit to Gujarat.
The President has been speaking against intolerance after the Dadri lynching incident and subsequent events.
He said Ahimsa (or non-violence) is not a negative force and "we must free our public discourse of all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal. Only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of the people, especially the marginalised and the dispossessed in our democratic process."
IndiaToday.in | Ahmedabad, December 1, 2015
Posted by Dianne Nongrum | UPDATED 13:27 IST
President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday spoke about how the real dirt of India lies not on the streets but in the minds of the people due to their unwillingness to let go of the views that divide society into 'them' and 'us', 'pure' and 'impure'.
At a function in Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, where he inaugurated the Archives and Research Centre, Mukherjee cited Gandhiji's vision of India as an inclusive nation where every section of population lived in equality and enjoyed equal opportunity and said the essence of being human is "our trust of each other".
"Every day, we see unprecedented violence all around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust. While we invent new modes of combating this ever spiralling violence, we must not forget the power of non-violence, dialogue and reason," he said.
"We must make a success of the laudable and welcome Swatch Bharat Mission. However, this also must be seen as just the beginning of a much larger and intense effort to cleanse minds and fulfil Gandhiji's vision in all its aspects," said Mukherjee, who is on three-day maiden visit to Gujarat.
The President has been speaking against intolerance after the Dadri lynching incident and subsequent events.
He said Ahimsa (or non-violence) is not a negative force and "we must free our public discourse of all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal. Only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of the people, especially the marginalised and the dispossessed in our democratic process."
Source: indiatoday
