To keep India united, celebrate its diversity: President Pranab Mukherjee

PATNA: To keep India united, people must celebrate its diversity, President Pranab Mukherjee said today.

Terming 190 years of British rule as "dark chapter", the President said people of the country need to fight another take home battle against communalism and all sort of prejudices.

"If today India is an emerging developing economy, having highest growth among the emerging economies of the world, it is because of the toils of Indian farmers, workers in factory, farmers in field, scientists in the laboratory and people of India," he said at a felicitation ceremony here to honour the freedom fighters on the occasion of centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran satyagraha.

The President said 190 years of British rule left a very dark chapter which is described by the students of history as the drainage of resources from India.

"Therefore, as we had to fight against the colonial exploitation, sufferings and miseries, another take home battle also we have to fight against communalism, sectarianism, culturalism and all sorts of prejudices and obscurity.

"To keep India united, we must celebrate its diversity. Something precious in Indian psyche, which keeps the people together," Mukherjee said at the function attended by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.

The President said India is a land of 130 crore people, where all major seven religions are practised.

"We are living with all three major ethnic groups Caucasians, Dravidians and Mongoloids, yet under one system, one flag, one Constitution, one identity and that identity is that we are Indian. This is what our freedom fighters have taught us," he said.

Mukherjee asked the people to take a pledge to remain Indian and that they must advance India to its rightful place.

Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav were present during the function.