President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday expressed his disapproval of the recent trend of returning of honours by some writers and intellectuals to protest alleged “intolerance”, saying “awards are a public recognition of talent, merit and hard work, by peers and leaders in the profession” and “such awards should be cherished and valued by those who receive them.”
lauding the country’s “lovable traditions” of “open-mindedness” and “appreciation of genuine criticism”, he observed that “sensitive minds” sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in society but there should be “balanced” expression of concern over such events.
“Sensitive minds sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in society. But, expression of concern over such events should be balanced. Emotions should not overrun reason, and disagreement should be expressed through debate and discussion,” Mukherjee said.
Mukherjee was speaking at a function organised by the Press Council of India (PCI) on the occasion of National Press Day. He gave away national awards of PCI to journalists and Press photographers.
Speaking on the topic, ‘The impact and import of cartooning and caricatures as a medium of expression of opinion’, he said, “We must, as proud Indians, have confidence in the idea of India and the values and principles enshrined in our Constitution. India has always been able to self-correct whenever such a need has arisen.”
He paid tributes to legendary cartoonists like RK laxman and Rajinder Puri. He also referred to Jawaharlal Nehru and said he used to repeatedly tell cartoonist Shankar not to spare him in his work.
Although the President did not refer to any particular incident, his comments assume significance as these came against the backdrop of certain cases which were seen as a reflection of growing ‘intolerance’.
Mukherjee has himself on three separate occasions earlier highlighted the significance of “tolerance” and “assimilation” in India and equal treatment of law irrespective of one’s individual identity.
The President also said that freedom of the Press in India forms part of the freedom of expression which is guaranteed by the Constitution as a fundamental right.
In a democracy, he said, various challenges will emerge from time to time and these should be addressed collectively. “We must ensure that the letter and spirit of the law always remains a living reality,” he said.
Speaking at the event where Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and PCI chairman Justice (Retd) CK Prasad were present, Mukherjee also said that the growth of newspapers and agencies in the country has its roots in our freedom struggle.