President urges citizens to strengthen democracy

While delivering the 5th Dr Ambedkar memorial lecture, President Pranab Mukherjee called upon the people of India on Thursday to do ‘everything possible’ to strengthen democracy and be constantly on the guard against the rise of divisive forces.

President Pranab Mukherjee called upon the people of India on Thursday to do ‘everything possible’ to strengthen democracy and be constantly on the guard against the rise of divisive forces.

Delivering the 5th Dr Ambedkar memorial lecture, Mukherjee also asked for committed efforts to overcome poverty and prejudice. His call for public participation against challenges like malnutrition, ignorance, unemployment and infrastructure assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi too, had put a premium on people’s involvement in solving the country’s problems.

During his Independence Day speech, Modi had called for a moratorium on all forms of tension and violence.

On Thursday, Mukherjee added, “We must ensure untouchability or any form of disability based on caste, creed, religion or sex is not practiced anywhere.”

In the backdrop of the rising communal tensions, the President also quoted from Ambedkar’s speeches which said, “It is wrong for the majority to deny the existence of minorities. It is equally wrong for the minorities to perpetuate themselves. A solution must recognise the existence of the minorities to start with.”