It must be said to the credit of Pranab Mukherjee that he has maintained the dignity and integrity of his office despite being a Congressman appointed during the UPA regime. His broad national vision and outlook have served him well in managing the pressure and pulls of overseeing a Government at the Centre that is seen to be leaning towards a rigid Hindutva ideology. Mukherjee has spoken unequivocally about the essence of maintaining India’s pluralistic culture which is an assimilation of diverse ideas over centuries. He spoke at length about maintaining the decorum of parliamentary democracy which respects dissent and works through a cohesive amalgamation of ideas. The outgoing President made an important point about education being the alchemy that will take India to its next golden age. He couldn’t have made a more important point. As I had said on assuming Office of the President, education is the alchemy that can take India to its next golden age. A liberal education that respects differences , encourages debates, nurtures creative thinking and a scientific temper are imperative in institutions of higher learning. Indeed the right mix of theory and practice coupled with the social skills to learn to appreciate diversity is what the youth of India needs today. As Pranab Mukherjee says a reordering of society is possible through the transformative power of education.
These thoughts make sense especially in an India that is seeking to place itself amongst the comity of nations. Mukherjee’s successor would do well to keep in mind all that his predecessors over decades have done to retain the dignity of Rashtrapati Bhavan through words and actions. It cannot be overemphasized that a President ceases to belong to any political party once he assumes that august office. Ram Nath Kovind would do well to keep his distance to the party he used to belong to and to maintain equi-distance from all political groups.