Our core values of tolerance, plurality cannot be wasted: President

President Pranab Mukherjee today said the core values of diversity, tolerance and plurality of the Indian civilisation must be kept in mind and cannot be allowed to be wasted, in remarks that come against the backdrop of the Dadri lynching over rumours of beef eating.

“I firmly believe that we cannot allow the core values of our civilisation to be wasted and the core values are what over the years the civilisation celebrated diversity, promoted and advocated tolerance, endurance and plurality.

“These core civilisation values kept us together over the centuries. Many ancient civilisations have fallen. But it is right that despite aggression after aggression, long foreign rule, the Indian civilisation has survived because of its core civilisational values and we must keep that in mind. And if we keep those core values in mind, nothing can prevent our democracy from moving forward,” he said.

The President’s remarks come in the wake of the lynching of a 50-year-old man in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh by an enraged mob over rumours that he stored and consumed beef, which has sparked outrage across the country.

The President was handed over a coffee-table book on him at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here. The book written by Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director of New Indian Express, was released by Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, fromer Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, and MPs were also present at the function.

In his brief 15-minute address, Mukherjee said being a political leader he felt shy speaking at an occasion to launch a book written on him.

He said the country has made tremendous progress in many sectors and there is no limit to doing more.

“There is no limit. We will have to do much more,” he said.

He added that there is no end to work in the President’s office which is considered strictly Constitutional and recalled how his friends jokingly commented that he would not have anything much to do in the post.

“I in my own way am making my contribution... After three years of coming here, I recognise that much more has to be done. There is no end to working in the President’s office, which is considered strictly constitutional,” he said.