A look at the trail of intolerance and words of caution by President Pranab Mukherjee

In just over a month-and-a-half, a series of incidents, including two killings, have put the spotlight on the growing intolerance in society. Even President Pranab Mukherjee has come out in support of the right to dissent and the need for tolerance. ET takes a look...

THE TRAIL OF INTOLERANCE...

AUGUST 30: DHARWAD, KARNATAKA

Kannada writer MM Kalburgi, 77, was shot dead by two unidentifi ed men. His murder raised a storm over threat to free speech. Police are probing the suspected role of right-wing elements

SEPTEMBER 28: DADRI, UTTAR PRADESH

50-year-old Mohammad Iqlakh was beaten to death by a mob in Dadri over rumours that he and his family had consumed beef. He and his 22-year-old son were dragged from their house by around 100 villagers and clobbered

OCTOBER 8: MUMBAI

Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali’s concert in Mumbai was cancelled after the Shiv Sena raised objections

OCTOBER 12: MUMBAI

Shiv Sena activists poured black paint on journalist & writer Sudheendra Kulkarni in protest against the launch of a book by a former Pak foreign minister

OCTOBER 19: MUMBAI

A meeting between the Indian & Pakistani cricket board offi cials was cancelled after Shiv Sena workers stormed BCCI office

OCTOBER 19: NEW DELHI

Activists of Hindu Sena, a fringe Hindu outfi t, threw ink on Independent MLA from J&K Sheikh Abdul Rashid in protest against the beef party he held in Srinagar earlier this month

...WORDS OF CAUTION

OCTOBER 7: RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN

We should not allow the core values of our civilisation to wither away. Our civilisation has celebrated diversity, plurality and promoted and advocated tolerance. These values have kept us together over the centuries. India must remain true to its civilisational values

OCTOBER 8: IN AN INTERVIEW TO JORDAN’S PAPER AL GHAD

We shouldn’t permit religion to be used as a mask to satisfy hunger for power and control of some individuals. I agree that leaders of every nation, belief, neighbourhood need to take a clear and public stand against intolerance of any kind

OCTOBER 12: AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

India’s strength lies in its capacity to blend contradictions into positive affi rmations. India is a country held together by strong invisible threads. For us, diversity is an integrating factor

OCTOBER 19: AT A FUNCTION IN BIRBHUM DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL

‘Jato Mat Tato Path’. (As there are a number of beliefs, there are a number of ways.) Humanism and pluralism should not be abandoned under any circumstance. Is tolerance and acceptance of dissent on the wane. Our collective strength must to be harnessed to resist evil powers in society