Soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance, says President Pranab Mukherjee in farewell address to nation

New Delhi: In his last address to the nation as president, Pranab Mukherjee on Monday advocated freeing of public discourse from violence and asserted that the country derived its strength from pluralism and tolerance.

He said the capacity for compassion and empathy was the "true foundation" of the country's civilisation. "But everyday, we see increased violence around us. At the heart of this violence is darkness, fear and mistrust.

“We must free our public discourse from all forms of violence, physical as well as verbal," Mukherjee, who will demit office tomorrow, said in his last televised address to the nation as the president.

He made it clear that only a non-violent society could ensure the participation of all sections of the people, especially the maginalised and the dispossessed, in the democratic process.

"The power of non-violence has to be resurrected to build a compassionate and caring society," Mukherjee, 81, said.

The soul of India, he emphasised, resided in "pluralism and tolerance".

"India is not just a geographical entity. It carries a history of ideas, philosophy, intellect, industrial genius, craft innovation and experience," the president said.

Plurality had come through the "assimilation of ideas" over the centuries, he said.

"Multiplicity in culture, faith and language is what makes India special. We derive our strength from tolerance," he added.

Not ruling out divergent stands in public discourse, he said, "We may argue, we may agree or we may not agree. But we cannot deny the essential prevalence of multiplicity of opinion. Otherwise, a fundamental character of our thought process will wither away."

The president reminded the people of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy and said the creation of an inclusive society had to be an article of faith.

Gandhi wanted the people to move forward unitedly in "ever-widening" thought and action, he said, and stressed the need for focusing on the poor.

"Financial inclusion is at the core of an equitable society. We must empower the poorest of the poor and ensure that the fruits of our policies reach the last person in the line," he said.

Mukherjee, a former lecturer who has often assumed the role of a teacher during his visits within and outside the country, spoke about education, which he called the alchemy that could take India to its next golden age.

Referring to the "transformative power" of education, he called for upgrading higher educational institutions to world-class levels.

"Our education system must accept disruption as a norm and prepare our students to manage and build upon the disruptions. Our universities should not be a place for rote- memorising but an assembly of inquisitive minds," he said.

Institutes of higher learning must promote "creative thinking, innovation and scientific temper", he said.

"It calls for the application of logic through discussion, argument and analysis. These qualities have to be cultivated and the autonomy of the mind has to be encouraged," he said.

Talking about the need for protecting the environment, he said nature had been kind in its bounty but cautioned that "when greed exceeds need, nature lets loose its fury".

He asked scientists and technologists to work with farmers and workers to revive the health of the soil, arrest the decline in water tables and restore ecological balance.

Mukherjee emphasised the people's right to lead a happy life which, he said, could be achieved through good governance, social inclusion and poverty eradication.

"Eradication of poverty would provide a strong boost to happiness. A sustainable environment would prevent damage to planetary resources. Social inclusion would ensure access to the fruits of progress to all," he pointed out.

Good governance would enable the people to "shape their own lives through transparent, accountable and participatory political institutions", the president said.

"We all have to act together now for the future may not give us another chance," he said.

Describing President Mukherjee as extremely knowledgeable and simple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the guidance he received from the outgoing president will help him immensely.

"Whenever I would discuss official matters with President Pranab Mukherjee he would guide me and offer constructive feedback," he said after releasing the fourth volume of selected speeches of the President.

Mukherjee, who completed his five-year term today, will step down for President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, former Bihar Governor, who will assume office from tomorrow.

Poltu da, as he is lovingly called, came a long way from the reluctant schoolboy of West Bengal's Mirati village who grew to be one of India's most respected politicians.

It all started when Indira Gandhi spotted him during a by-election in Midnapore where he was V K Krishna Menon's election agent. His astute management saw Menon, a Malayali contesting in West Bengal as a candidate of Congress' rival faction Bangla Congress, win with a huge margin.

Impressed with his political acumen, Gandhi brought Mukherjee into the Congress and initiated his parliamentary journey through the Rajya Sabha in 1969.

There have been many firsts since then for the 81-year-old, fondly known as Pranab Da.

He became India's youngest finance minister of India in 1982 at the age of 47.

From 2004, he went on to head three crucial ministries - External Affairs, Defence and Finance - and became the first occupant of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to have this distinction.

He will also go down in the history as the only non-prime minister who was the leader of the Lok Sabha for eight years.

Known for his political acumen and ability to form consensus across party lines, Mukherjee was heading 24 of 39 GOMs (groups of ministers) when he became president in 2012. Between, 2004-12, he had chaired 95 GOMs.

That is why friends and rivals will agree that there was enough politics left in him when he accepted his retirement from active politics in the form of the presidency.

It's a mixed bag legacy for the politician who won his first election in 2004 from Jangipur in West Bengal.

Mukherjee's lasting contribution as finance minister, for instance, includes introduction of an egregious tax change - a retrospective amendment to the Income Tax act that targeted Vodafone and allowed closed tax cases to be reopened. That amendment shook foreign investor confidence in India as a safe investment destination, say experts.

A tough taskmaster, avid reader and history aficionado, Mukherjee has ensured that he leaves his mark on the presidency.

(With agency inputs)