Former President Pranab Mukherjee addressed the closing ceremony of the ‘Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg’, an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event to mark the conclusion of a three-year training camp for swayamsevaks in Nagpur.

He said that he was in Nagpur to present his views on nationalism and patriotism.

Mr. Mukherjee’s daughter and Congress leader Sharmistha on Wednesday said her father was giving the BJP and the Sangh a handle to plant false stories with his decision to speak at the RSS event. His “speech will be forgotten” but the “visuals will remain”, she said on Twitter. She also expressed the hope that the former president would realise how the BJP’s “dirty tricks department” works and warned him of the consequences of attending such a meet.

Also read: BJP up to mischief, says Pranab's daughter

Some Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh and C.K. Jaffar Sharief, also wrote to him, while a few leaders of the party, including Anand Sharma, personally visited him in a bid to dissuade him from going to Nagpur.

Mr. Mukherjee, when he was associated with the Congress, had moved a resolution during a party conclave in 2010 to investigate alleged links of the terrorists with the RSS and its sister organisations.

I am here to present my views on nationalism and patriotism: Pranab Mukherjee

8:15 p.m.: Pranab Mukherjee takes the dais and starts off by saying "I am here to present my views on nationalism and patriotism."

“Nation is defined as a large group of people sharing same language, heritage. Nationalism is defined as identifying oneself with one’s own nation. Patriotism is defined as devotion to one’s own country. Our national identity has emerged after a long drawn process of confluence and assimilation, the multiple cultures and faiths make us special and tolerant," says the former President.

He goes on to trace the history of the country, touching upon the Gupta dynasty, Delhi's capture by the Mughal emperors and the rise of the East India Company.

"Throughout 4,500 years of changing political conquests and fortunes, the essence of the country remains the same," he says and goes on to quote a Bengali verse about how many identities flowed like river to form the idea of India as we know it today. "We derive our strength from tolerance. We accept pluralism. We celebrate our diversity," he says.

The former President takes a tour of the national struggle, the independence, and the declaration of the Republic. “On 26 January 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect. Democracy became our most precious guide towards peace and regeneration from the swamp of poverty created by centuries of colonial rule. For us, democracy is not a gift, but a sacred trust.”

8:25 p.m.: From our Constitution flows our nationalism, the former President says. “The Constitution of India represents the hopes and aspirations of a billion plus Indians. From our Constitution flows our nationalism. The construct of Indian nationalism is Constitutional patriotism.”

RSS flag is lowered at the organisation’s headquarters in Nagpur on June 7, 2018 after the conclusion of the ‘Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg’ programme. Photo: Facebook/@RSSOrg

“I want to share some truths I have internalised in 50 years of my political life. Soul of India resides in pluralism. We derive our strength from tolerance. We accept and respect our pluralism. We celebrate our diversity. Any attempt at defining our nationhood in terms of dogmas and identities of religion, region, hatred and intolerance will only lead to dilution of our national identity,” he says. “India’s nationhood is not one language, one religion. It is perennial universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages and 1,600 dialects, practice seven major religions and belong to three major ethnic groups, live under one system, one flag and one identity of being Bharthiya.”

“I am here to share my understanding on nation, nationalism and patriotism about ‘Bharat’,” he adds.

“In a democracy, informed and reasoned public engagement on all issues of national importance is essential. A dialogue is necessary not only to balance the competing interests but also to reconcile them,” he says.

8:35 p.m.: Quoting Kautilya shloka, Mr. Mukherjee says: “ It succinctly tell us that in the happiness of people lies the happiness of the king, their welfare is his welfare. The state is for the people.”

“Intolerance will only dilute our national identity,” the former President says. “We must free our public discourse from all kinds of fear and violence.”

“People are at the centre of all activities of the state and nothing should be done to divide them. The aim of the state should be to galvanise them to fight a concerted war against poverty, disease and deprivation. Only then can we create a nation where nationalism flows automatically,” he says.

Mr. Mukherjee concludes his speech with an apology that he exceeded the time given to him to address.

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RSS chief addresses conclave

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses the closing ceremony of the organistaion’s Tritiya Varsha Sangh Shiksha Varg programme for volunteers at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur on June 7, 2018. Photo: RSS

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat begins his speech. Thanks Mr. Mukherjee for accepting the RSS' invitation. And touches upon the debate over his visit. “Sangh will remain Sangh. Dr. Mukherjee will remain Dr. Mukherjee,” he says adding that the Sangh acknowledges all thoughts. “Respecting diverse thoughts is our strength,” he says. “We are all sons of Bharat Mata.”

He says the Mr. Mukherjee’s visit was much hyped, but that’s a routine for Nagpurians as every year they witness a dignitary coming for Sangh Shiksha Varg.

It’s to be noted that for the first time an RSS chief is speaking in the presence of a guest at any RSS event.

Quoting Hedgewar, Mr. Bhagwat says Hindus are answerable to India.

Former national footballer among special invitees

The organisation introduces special invitees — Sunil Shastri, Sanjay Lalbhai, Challa Rajendra Prasad, Rajiv Malhotra, Vishad Mafatlal , Kalyan Chaubey and Ardhendu Bose — to the valedictory programme. Mr. Chaubey is a former national football player.

‘Pranab at RSS HQ anguishes Congress workers’

“The images of Pranab Da, veteran leader and ideologue at RSS Headquarters have anguished millions of Congress workers and all those who believed in pluralism, diversity and the foundational values of the Indian Republic,” tweets Mr. Anand Sharma. “Dialogue can only be with those who are willing to listen, absorb and change. There is nothing to suggest that RSS has moved away from his core agenda as it seeks legitimacy.”

The tweet comes in response to the RSS stating, following the controversy over Mr. Mukherjee’s visit, that dialogue was important, central to RSS ideology and an old tradition of the country.

The Sangh, which describes itself as a nationalist and cultural organisation rather than a political or religious one, was founded by Hedgewar, known as Doctorji, on September 27, 1925 on Vijayadashami day at his house. The name ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ was selected for the organisation on April 17, 1926 from a list of four names — Jaripatka Mandal, Bharat Uddharak Mandal, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Former FTII chairman Gajendra Chauhan and RSS leader Sanjay Joshi at the organistaion’s Sangh Shiksha Varg in Nagpur on June 7, 2018. | Photo Credit: Pavan Dahat

Pranab witnesses RSS volunteers’ parade

The former President is on the dais with Mr. Bhagwat and other RSS leaders. The parade and drill by swayamsevaks who have completed three years in the organisation has begun. The RSS holds training camps for first, second and third-year swayamsewaks.

RSS volunteers hold a parade at the Reshimbag ground in Nagpur marking the conclusion of RSS Sangh Shiksha Varg on June 7, 2018. Former President Pranab Mukherjee witnessed the parade. | Photo Credit: Pavan Dahat

Visits Hedgewar’s birthplace

Mr. Mukherjee visited the birthplace of RSS founding Sarsanghachalak Keshav Baliram Hedgewar ahead of his speech. He was welcomed by Mr. Bhagwat and RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s note in the visitor's book during his visit to the house of RSS founder Hedgewar in Nagpur on June 7, 2018. | Photo Credit: Pavan Dahat

“Today I came here to pay my respect and homage to a great son of Mother India,” Mr. Mukherjee wrote in the visitor’s book at Hedgewar’s birthplace. Those present included Subhash Chandra Bose’s family members who have been invited as special guests, sources said. Lal Bahadur Shastri’s relatives too were present.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the birthplace of the organisation's founder, Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, in Nagpur on June 7, 2018. | Photo Credit: PTI

According to sources, the decision to pay tributes to Hedgewar was not part of Mr. Mukherjee’s scheduled itinerary and an impromptu decision was taken by the former President to do so. The sources said he he would garland the statue of Hedgewar.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat receives former President Pranab Mukherjee in Nagpur on June 7, 2018. | Photo Credit: Pavan Dahat

Mr. Mukherjee would be introduced to the other senior Sangh functionaries and he would attend the Sangh parade by its workers on completion of the training camp.

Ahmed Patel expresses disapproval

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel expressed his disapproval at Mr. Mukherjee visiting the RSS headquarters, and said he did not expect this from him.

Mr. Patel, who is UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s close confidant and has been her political secretary, voiced his view on Twitter, in reply to Mukherjee’s daughter who spoke out against the decision of the former President to address an RSS event.

“I did not expect this from Pranab da!” Patel said in a one line tweet.

Congress doesn’t understand RSS, says Vaidya

Former RSS spokesperson and senior ideologue of the organisation M.G. Vaidya in an exclusive interview with The Hindu said:

“In 1963, Jawaharlal Nehru invited the RSS to take part in the Republic Day parade and 3000 swayamsevaks participated in it in the RSS uniform. No one is untouchable for the RSS. The Congress is narrow-minded.

“They should say that Mukherjee will present the Congress’s views and his own views (on the RSS platform). But, it appears, that the Congress doesn’t have confidence in him.”

Also read: Tell RSS what is wrong with their ideology: Chidambaram to Pranab

Daughter against visit

Mr. Mukherjee’s visit was giving the BJP and RSS an opportunity to spread rumours, his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee said on Wednesday.

The Delhi Congress leader tweeted that the BJP had floated rumours of her joining the party. Tweeting at her father, she said: “Hope @CitiznMukherjee now realises from todays’ incident, how BJP dirty tricks dept operates. Even RSS wouldn’t believe that u r going 2 endorse its views in ur speech. But the speech will be forgotten, visuals will remain & those will be circulated with fake statements. 1/2 [sic].”

In another tweet, she added: “@CitiznMukherjee By going 2 Nagpur, u r giving BJP/RSS full handle 2 plant false stories, spread falls rumours as 2day & making it somewhat believable. And this is just d beginning! 2/2 [sic].”