Freedom to doubt, disagree, dispute intellectually must be protected: President

Thiruvananthapuram: President Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday that India’s pluralism and social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity were country's greatest strength

Talking at the 77th Session of Indian History Congress at Thiruvananthapuram, he said, "An objective pursuit of history requires an impartial mind of a judge and not the mind of an advocate," adding, "We must keep our eyes open for unfamiliar ideas and be ready to consider a range of different inferences or assumptions."

"Freedom to doubt, disagree and dispute intellectually must be protected as an essential pillar of our democracy. Nothing should lie outside the realm of reason, and therefore of discussion and argument," he further said.

At the same time, he maintained, "India’s pluralism and social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity are our greatest strength. Our traditions have always celebrated the ‘argumentative’ Indian not the ‘intolerant’ Indian."

The President also said, "Indian History Congress has a creditable record of standing up for freedom of expression. I hope Indian History Congress will continue to remain alert and vigilant in the cause of an objective study of history."