NAGPUR: Former President Pranab Mukherjee addressed the closing ceremony of the ‘Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg’, an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event to mark the conclusion of a three-year training camp for swayamsevaks in Nagpur.
Former President Pranab Mukherjee described Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as a “great son of Mother India’ as he visited the birthplace of the RSS founding Sarsanghachalak. “Today I came here to pay my respect and homage to a great son of Mother India,” Mukherjee wrote in a visitor’s book at Hedgewar’s birthplace ahead of his much-anticipated speech at the RSS headquarters.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat felicitated former president Pranab Mukherjee with a bouquet. Earlier, Pranab Mukherjee visited the birth place of the RSS founding Sarsanghachalak Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
Former President Pranab Mukherjee said intolerance will only dilute India’ national identity and Indian nationalism emanated from universalism, assimilation and co-existence.
This was his first speech from the RSS platform. Many Congress leaders wrote to him requesting to not ‘violate’ party line.
Pranab Mukherjee, addressing the RSS cadres, said, “As Gandhiji explained, Indian nationalism was not exclusive, was not destructive”.
Pandit Nehru said, Indian nationalism only comes from a congregation of Hindus, Muslims and all other religions.
In India, we derive our strength from tolerance, and respect our pluralism; We celebrate our diversity said Pranab Mukherjee.
I am here amongst you to share my understanding with you of the concepts of nation, nationalism and patriotism in the context of India said Pranab Mukherjee.
