The Hindu : National : Indira Gandhi Award for Javed Akhtar

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Wednesday, Nov 01, 2006
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Indira Gandhi Award for Javed Akhtar

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

He says India's secularism embarrasses Pakistan

Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi with lyricist Javed Akhtar after he was conferred the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday reiterated that "promoting and safeguarding the unity and integrity of our young republic is a national cause" as "our democracy is built on our civilisational commitment to pluralism."

He was speaking at a function got up to present the 21st Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration to noted lyricist Javed Akhtar here.

Acknowledging Mr. Akhtar's description of the 2002 Gujarat communal carnage as "not a Hindu-Muslim problem, but a clash of secularism and democracy versus fascism and intolerance," Dr. Singh said: "There is truth in this. I do sincerely believe that our civilisation has made it possible for diversity to thrive and flourish.

"Every great religion of the world has found a home in this great and blessed land of ours. We Indians are intrinsically a tolerant people. Religious intolerance is alien to both our culture and our constitutional values."

United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi presented the award that carries a cash prize of Rs. 1.51 lakh and a citation.

Mr. Akhtar said he felt fortunate that in India he enjoyed immense freedom of expression despite being a common man. Secularism had been the way of life for India since millennia and "is like "oxygen to us." Unfortunately, forces were trying to break national integration.

As for Pakistan, he said its role vis-à-vis was dubious at the least and diabolic at the extreme. "There is a perverse thinking. India's secularism embarrasses them. They want to see the right wing thrive here so that India becomes a theocratic state as that would justify their involvement in terrorism here."

As such, their involvement in terrorism here cannot be ignored. He demanded strongest possible action against terrorism.

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