Rajiv Gandhi was a visionary, personified secular values: Ex-PM Manmohan Singh

Addressing the masses at Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award function, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday put forth his views on rise in communal tensions in the country while appealing people to unite.

Zee Media Bureau/Tarun Khanna

New Delhi: Addressing the masses at Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award function, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday put forth his views on rise in communal tensions in the country while appealing people to unite.

Singh said that the rise in communal incidents must not divide the Indian society.

He further added that it is our collective responsibility to deal with such incidents flaring communal tensions.

Praising Rajiv Gandhi for his contribution, Singh said that the former was a visionary who saw far ahead than his contemporaries.

He also said that Rajiv Gandhi personified liberal, tolerant and secular values.

Furthermore, while presenting the award to Muzaffar Ali, Singh said that India and the world needs more harbingers of peace and love like Ali.

Noted filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who had directed the Bollywood classic “Umrao Jaan”, has been conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for his outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.

It carries a citation and cash award of Rs 5 lakh.
The decision to honour the 69-year-old film maker, social worker and sufi poet was taken at a meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award.

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