Expressing concern over the complete washout of the recently-concluded Monsoon Session, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said Parliament has been converted into an arena of combat rather than debate. In his address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, he also said institutions of democracy are under stress and “correctives must come from within.”
Making these observations, the President said, “If the institutions of democracy are under pressure, it is time for serious thinking by people and their parties.” Sounding a note of caution, he said, “The roots (of vibrant democracy) are deep but the leaves are beginning to wilt. It is time for renewal.”
Asserting that the most precious gift of the Constitution is democracy, Mukherjee said: “Our institutions are the infrastructure of this idealism. The finest inheritance needs constant care for preservation.”
Urging the polity to introspect over the state of affairs inside Parliament, he said, “If we do not act now, will our successors seven decades hence remember us with the respect and admiration we have for those who shaped the Indian dream in 1947IJ The answer may not be comfortable but the question has to be asked.”
He then went on to say, “Institutions of democracy are under stress. Parliament has been converted into an arena of combat rather than debate.”
In an apparent message to Pakistan, Mukherjee said “our neighbours” must ensure that their territory is not used by forces inimical to India which rejects any attempt to use terrorism as an instrument of State policy.
“While we offer our hand willingly in friendship, we cannot stay blind to deliberate acts of provocation and a deteriorating security environment. India is a target of vicious terrorist groups operating from across the borders. Except for the language of violence and the cult of evil, these terrorists have no religion and adhere to no ideology. Our neighbours must ensure that their territory is not used by forces inimical to India. Our policy will remain one of zero tolerance for terrorism.
We reject any attempt to use terrorism as an instrument of State policy. Infiltration into our territory and attempts to create mayhem will be dealt with a strong hand,” he said.
Stressing on the need for peace and furthering regional cooperation he said: “Peace, friendship and cooperation bind nations and peoples together. Recognizing the shared destiny of the Indian sub-continent, we must strengthen connectivity, expand institutional capacity and enhance mutual trust to further regional cooperation. As we make progress in advancing our interests globally, India is also engaged in pro-actively promoting goodwill and prosperity in our immediate neighbourhood. It is heartening that the long-pending land boundary issue with Bangladesh has been finally resolved.”
“Vested interests chip away at social harmony, in an attempt to erode many centuries of secularism. In an age of instant communication through ever-improving technology, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the devious designs of a few never overcome the essential oneness of our people.”
Reminding the nation of the freedom struggle, he said a great generation of supreme heroes faced a formidable challenge when ideals and convictions that had held through the travails of an epic struggle against British rule were under strain. “The sagacity and maturity of that generation saved our ideals from deviation or degeneration under the pressure of emotion, including rage,” Mukherjee said.
Reflecting on the quality of education, the President said: “Our educational institutions multiply as the aspirations of generations continue to exceed supply. But what has happened to quality, from base to apexIJ We recall the guru-shishya parampara with legitimate pride; why then have we abandoned the care, devotion and commitment that is at the heart of this relationshipIJ A guru much like the soft and skillful hands of a potter moulds the destiny of the shishya.