The much-hyped visit of former president Pranab Mukherjee, which had created equal and heightened anxiousness among the BJP and Congress camps, ended in pleasing both.

At the end of Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to RSS headquarters at Nagpur, both the BJP and the Congress were cheering his 28-minute speech.

Both the rival political parties interpreted Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the RSS pracharaks on ‘Nation, Nationalism and Patriotism’ as validating their respective stands.

BJP

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav termed the former president’s speech as “great”. “His address and (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat’s address are in a way complementary to each other. ‘Nation First’ is the core message of both,” he said.

Drawing a parallel between Pranab and Bhagwat’s speeches, the senior BJP leader said democracy and striving for the welfare of all the people is described by both as the core of ancient Indian nationalism.

The BJP also hailed the former president for describing RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as a “great son of Mother India”. “Today I came here to pay my respect and homage to a great son of Mother India,” he wrote in the visitor’s book at RSS founder’s birthplace in Nagpur hours before he delivered his speech.

CONGRESS

The Congress, which had panicked before Pranab Mukherjee’s speech and criticised his visit, did a volte face praising his speech.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the former president showed the ‘Mirror of Truth’ to the RSS at RSS headquarters in Nagpur by reminding them of India’s “pluralism”, “tolerance”, “secularism” and “inclusiveness” as an article of faith and soul of the country.

The Congress leader said Pranab particularly highlighted the imperative need of freeing the public discourse from all forms of violence – physical and verbal – besides putting compassion, harmony and non-violence as the centre stage of our public life.

“Mukherjee also reminded the present Modi government of following ‘Rajdharma’, founded upon our diversity, non-violence, multiculturalism and assimilation of ideas. He particularly reminded the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) that ‘Happiness of people is the happiness of ruler, their welfare is his welfare’,” Surjewala said.

However, former Congress leader Shehzad Poonawalla interpreted Pranab’s speech as a message for party president Rahul Gandhi. “The address was to the swayamsevaks but message was to Rahul Gandhi that let us have samvaad and political vivaad… Hope Rahul Gandhi does not practice political intolerance and ideological terrorism but Indian philosophy of samvad,” he said.

PRANAB MUKHERJEE

Meanwhile, Pranab Mukherjee, who was one of the senior-most Congress leaders before becoming the president in July 2012, delivered a balanced speech with message to all political parties.

He said on January 26, 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, he said.

“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,” he said.

In a democracy, Pranab said, 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.

Quoting Kautilya, he said the happiness of people lied the happiness of the king, their welfare is his welfare and the state is for the people.

Pranab Mukherjee said 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 said.

However, he talked about India’s rich cultural heritage and proud historical past, which must have been music to the BJP and RSS’ ears. He summed up the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal period by calling it a rule by “Muslims invaders”.

But he also talked about values such as unity in diversity, tolerance and pluralism.

He said Indian nationalism emanated from universalism and the philosophy of “vasudhaiva kutumbakam” (the whole world is a family).

Pranab said our national identity has emerged through confluence, assimilation and coexistence. “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 said.

He further said, “India’s nationhood is not one language, one religion, one enemy. It is perennial universalism of 1.3 billion people who use more than 122 languages and 1600 dialects, practice seven major religions and belong to three major ethnic groups, live under one system, one flag one identity of being Bharatiya.”

The RSS and the BJP, which saw Pranab’s visit as a victory for them, seem to have got a thumbs up and sobering message simultaneously from the former president.

The Congress which was critical of his visit is now rejoicing after the speech.

Pranab Mukherjee seems to have done a balancing act by pleasing both the rival political parties.