Galaxy of personalities flay ‘rising intolerance’
President Pranab Mukherjee yet again called for preserving the pluralistic character of the country
NEW DELHI: A galaxy of personalities on Saturday joined the debate on growing intolerance with music maestro Zubin Mehta speaking against “ostracising” writers and authors that would amount to cultural dictatorship while RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said tolerance and mutual respect was necessary.
On his part, President Pranab Mukherjee yet again called for preserving the pluralistic character of the country as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said unity, peace and harmony is a first condition if India is to move forward and attain new heights of development.
The Mumbai-born music con- ductor, who lives abroad and has just concluded a multi-city concert performance in India, batted for complete freedom of expression for the writers and filmmakers saying it should be there in the world’s largest democracy.
“Our writers, our filmmakers do have a chance of speaking their minds. We should not ostracise them. Otherwise, we will become a dictatorship, a cultural dictatorship and that is inadmissible,” he said.
Mehta said: “If they write their opinion, they should not be ostracised by the government. There should be complete freedom of expression. We are the largest democracy in the world”. He also hoped that the government “invites them for discussions and speaks to them”.
The RBI Governor used the occasion of his convocation address at the Delhi IIT to say tolerance and mutual respect was necessary to improve the environment for ideas and physical harm or verbal contempt for any particular group should not be allowed.
Asserting that India’s tradition of debate and an open spirit of enquiry is critical for economic growth, he said encouraging challenge to all authority and tradition would rule out anyone imposing a particular view or ideology because of power.
In the wake of the Dadri lynching and subsequent incidents, the President had asked a question whether tolerance and acceptance of dissent are on the wane in the country during a function at his home town at Suri recently.
This was followed by his appeal to people for practising tolerance and to accept differences while respecting dissent.
Speaking at a function to flag off ‘run for unity’ on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 140th birth anniversary, Modi said unity is our biggest strength.
“We have to move forward with the mantra of unity, peace and harmony,” he said.
Modi said if 125 crore Indians with the mantra of unity, peace and harmony walk one step together shoulder to shoulder, then the country will move 125 crore steps in one go. “Our strength is a nation bound together by unity and which can sacrifice everything for unity and this is the message of Sardar sahab,” he said, recalling that Sardar Patel’s life was dedicated to national unity.
At the beginning of his speech, Modi also remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary, saying she sacrificed her life on this day and it cannot be forgotten.