Says any attempt to define India through religion, intolerance will dilute its existence

NAGPUR, INDIA(TIP): Highlighting the pluralistic and secular strengths of “our democracy” former President of India and Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday, June 7 spoke from an RSS platform to declare nationalism was not bound by race or religion.He cautioned that any attempt to define India through “religion, dogma or intolerance” would only dilute the country’s existence.

His half-an-hour address had a lesson for everyone. To the RSS, the former President recalled “vasudhaiv kutumbakam” (the world is one family) as the soul of Indian nationalism; to new Sangh recruits he spoke of the need for harmony; to his parent party Congress, he emphasized the need for dialogue and to PM Narendra Modi, he quoted Kautilya’s lessons in governance.

Unfazed by the fact that he was standing with people he had ideologically opposed all his life, Mukherjee used the occasion to drive home “diversity and acceptance” as the bedrock of Indian nationalism and to remind the pracharaks of the need for unity.

“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,” the former President said.

To sceptics, including his daughter Sharmishtha, the ex-President said informed public engagement was essential in democracy. “A dialogue is necessary not only to balance competing interests, but also to reconcile them. We may argue, may agree, may not agree but we cannot deny the existence of multiplicity of opinions,” he said.

Wading through India’s past, Mukherjee spoke of how through 3,500 years of being ruled by dynasts, India’s 5,000 years of civilizational unity remained unchanged while foreign elements were absorbed to create a new synthesis of national unity.

“Multiplicity of cultures, faith and languages makes us special,” Mukherjee repeated to 707 pracharaks, passing out after rigorous RSS training. He carefully dotted his speech with quotes from S Radhakrishnan, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Bal Gangadhar Tilak to hammer home his point. “When Tilak spoke of swaraj, he meant a swaraj for people encompassing all castes and religions and languages.”

He lauded the Constitution at a gathering full of RSS sympathizers, saying, “For us, democracy is not a gift, but a sacred trust… The Constitution is not a legal document but a Magna Carta for the socio-economic transformation of society. From our Constitution flows our nationalism.”

The former President also commented on the “routine of violence” in the country, saying India may be the fastest growing economy but it was lagging on the World Happiness Index.

“You are young. I must tell you that manifestations of rage are tearing our social fabric. We must free public discourse of violence, both physical and verbal. We must move from anger and conflict to love and harmony. Our motherland is asking for happiness. Our motherland deserves happiness,” Mukherjee said as he marveled the fact that 1.3 billion Indians used 120 languages, 1,600 dialects, followed seven major religions, belonged to three ethnic groups and still stood united under one flag, one Constitution and one identity.

“This is Bhartiyata,” the former President said at the RSS headquarters after he had paid tributes to Sangh founder KB Hedgewar, calling him a “great son of Mother India”. Earlier, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke of the irrelevance of controversy around Mukherjee’s visit.

Veiled message to PM 

“When we go to Parliament, just above the lift at gate no. 6 is inscribed Kautilya’s quote “In the happiness of people lies the happiness of the king, their welfare is his welfare. The State is for the people. People are at the center of all activities of the State and nothing should be done to divide them. The aim of the State should be to galvanize them to fight a concerted war against poverty, disease and deprivation. Only then can we create a nation where nationalism flows automatically.”

Message to Sangh

“India’s nationhood is not one language, one religion and one enemy. It is perennial universalism of 1.3 billion people who use 122 languages and 1,600 dialects… practice 7 major religions… live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bharatiya and have no enemies”.

Bhagwat on visit

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Mr. Mukherjee’s address: “Pranab Mukherjee will remain what he is and the Sangh will remain the Sangh even after the event. The RSS wants to unify the entire society, and no one is an outsider for it. People may have different views, but they are all children of mother India.”

Congress comments

Hours after Congress leaders had slammed former President Pranab Mukherjee for attending an RSS event, the party on Thursday praised him for showing “mirror of truth” to the Sangh by reminding it of India’s pluralism, tolerance, secularism and inclusiveness as an article of faith and soul of the country.

The party also said Mukherjee reminded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of his ‘Rajdharma’ and that “Indian nationalism is constitutional patriotism”.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Mukherjee’s visit to the RSS headquarters had caused wide-ranging discussion, comment, concern and even consternation amongst a large section of Indians, who have an innate belief in foundational values of democracy, pluralism, and diversity.

His statement came soon after Mukherjee had delivered his nearly 30-minute address at the RSS headquarters during its third year annual training camp.

Earlier, several Congress leaders, including Ahmed Patel and Anand Sharma, had slammed Mukherjee for attending an RSS event in Nagpur.    Patel, who is UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s confidant and has been her political secretary, voiced his view on Twitter, in reply to Mukherjee’s daughter who too spoke out against the decision of the former President to address the RSS event. “I did not expect this from Pranab da!” Patel tweeted.

Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma also took to Twitter to express his anguish after Mukherjee’s images attending an RSS event in Nagpur appeared on television. “The images of Pranab Da, veteran leader and ideologue at RSS Headquarters have anguished millions of Congress workers and all those who believed in pluralism, diversity and the foundational values of the Indian Republic,” he said. “Dialogue can only be with those who are willing to listen, absorb and change. There is nothing to suggest that RSS has moved away from his core agenda as it seeks legitimacy,” he added.

‘Dirty tricks at play’

Tagging a morphed picture showing Pranab sporting the RSS cap, his daughter and Congress leader Sharmishtha Mukherjee said: “See, this is exactly what I was fearing and warned my father about. Not even few hours have passed, but BJP/RSS dirty tricks dept is at work in full swing!”

Mr. Mukherjee came, spoke and left. But his visit to RSS headquarters is now a part of contemporary and future history of India. For long, political parties and political analysts will be commenting over the 30-minute speech of one of the most experienced and best-known politicians of our times.