Culture, Secularism and Diversity SPEECH BY SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN, PRESIDENT OF INDIA, WHILE GIVING AWAY 1999 KABIR PURASKAR AND 1998 & 1999 COMMUNAL HARMONY AWARDS NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2000 I would like to congratulate the distinguished awardees of Kabir Puraskar and Communal Harmony – Dr. C. Subramaniam representing the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Maulana Waheeduddin Khan and Shri K. Vadivel Raj. They are outstanding individuals and representatives of institutions. Communal harmony has been the main theme of the modern Indian civilisation. Both Kabir Puraskar as well as the Communal Harmony Awards are honouring the same ideology and the same attitude to life. If I may mention, this is not only a homage to philosophical attachment to communal harmony but to practical action for demonstrating communal harmony and human sympathies. Shri Vadivel Raj is a magnificent example of this. He is no scholar or philosopher but somebody who demonstrated in action, at the risk of his own life, for saving other human beings in a caste conflict. I would like to congratulate him for his courage and for his human sympathies. Maulana Waheeduddin Khan is a great scholar of Islam as well as a great humanist. He has organised public opinion in India in the tragic days of 1992 in favour of communal harmony and against religious fundamentalism. His magnificent example is something today we would like to follow. I would like to congratulate him on behalf of all of us on this occasion. Dr. C. Subramaniam is the Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, a great institution established by Shri K.M. Munshi in 1937. It has been immersed in cultural regeneration of India. By regenerating Indian culture, by disseminating it in India and abroad, it has advanced the cause of toleration, religious unity and the progress of India. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is a remarkable institution. It has not only spread in India but abroad. In the United States and UK, it is doing wonderful work for disseminating Indian culture. Under the leadership of Dr. C. Subramaniam, it has immersed not only in scholarly work, but in practical work such as the establishment of schools and other institutions which spread tolerance, religious unity and a modern outlook. Culture is not only a matter of books or philosophy, it is something which expresses itself in practical action. I should particularly welcome the attempt of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to move into the modern world and adopt technology dissemination as part of its work. The Computer Learning and Education Institute established as part of the Bhavan, in the name of Mahatma Gandhi, is a fine example of bringing together both our ancient philosophical approach and the modern concept of science, which is what we need today. I should congratulate Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan for this Award that has been bestowed on it. Communal harmony is the most important cementing idea today for India. We have always lived together in amity as a people, but from time to time we have to face critical situations where the core unity and tolerance is disturbed. In such a situation the work of people like Maulana Waheeduddin Khan, the practical action of Shri Vadivel Raj and the institutional work being done by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan are things we should all praise and imitate. With these words, I would like to congratulate, once again, the distinguished awardees. Thank you Jai Hind ^Top