Happy birthday Pranab Mukherjee! The 83-year-old former president delivered a spirited speech at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur earlier this year. He pleaded for dialogue, debate and democracy.
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00:001.3 billion people use more than 122 languages and 1,600 dialects in their everyday life.
00:13Practice seven major religions in their everyday life.
00:19Belong to three major ethnic groups, yet under one system, one flag, one constitution, and
00:33one identity which we may call Bharatiya Indian.
00:41But we do not identify any enemy.
00:47That is, makes Bharat diverse and united nation.
00:54In a democracy, I believe informed and reasoned public engagement on all issues of national
01:05importance is essential.
01:08A dialogue is necessary, not only to balance the competing interests, but also to reconcile
01:16them.
01:18Divergent strands in public discourse have to be recognized.
01:25We may argue, we may agree, we may not agree, but we cannot deny the essential prevalence
01:36of multiplicity of opinion.
01:40Only through a dialogue can we develop the understanding to solve the complex problems
01:49without an unhealthy strife within our polity.
01:56Peaceful coexistence, compassion, respect for life, and harmony with nature form the
02:04foundation of our civilization.
02:07Every time a child or a woman is brutalized, the soul of India is wounded.
02:16Manifestations of rage are tearing our social fabrics.
02:21Every day we see increased violence around us.
02:26At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear, and mistrust.
02:32We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal.
02:40Only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections of people in
02:47the democratic process, especially the marginalized and the dispossessed.
02:53We must move from anger, violence, and conflict to peace, harmony, and happiness.
03:03For so long we have lived with pain and strife.
03:08Please wish for peace, harmony, and happiness.
03:13Our motherland is asking for that.
03:17Our motherland deserves that.