Let us cleanse minds of divisive thoughts: Pranab

Amid global terrorism concerns and heated debate on intolerance at home, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday spoke of cleansing minds of devisive thoughts and following Gandhian principles. 

“The real dirt of India lies not on the streets but in our minds and in our unwillingness to let go of views that divide society into them and us, pure and impure,” President Mukherjee said after inaugurating the Archives and Research Centre at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Hinting at rising violence and inflammatory words that cause “intolerance”, Mukherjee said: “We must free our public discourse of all forms of violence; physical as well as verbal…we must not forget the power of non-violence, dialogue and reason.”

Welcoming Prime Minister Modi’s Swachh Bharat Mission, the President said, “We must make a success of the laudable and welcome the Swachh Bharat Mission. However, this also must be seen as just the beginning of a much larger and intense effort to cleanse minds and fulfil Gandhiji’s vision in all its aspects.”