US President Barack Obama on Tuesday tempered the euphoria around his successful three-day state visit to India by reminding his hosts that protecting religious freedom was the job of each citizen, and not the government alone. He said Article 25 of the Constitution of India entitles each citizen to “freedom of conscience” and the “right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion”.
Obama didn’t directly refer to the work by Sangh Parivaraffiliates — the Vishva Hindu Parishad, for example — which have carried out campaigns in the name of ‘ghar wapsi’ and against religious conversions in recent months, but spoke of rising intolerance and terror incidents across the world. He said India, as also the US, should guard against the “darkest impulses of man” that might use religion to divide the society. Obama said India will be successful if it isn’t “splintered” on religious or any other lines.
The US president said his wife and his “Christian faith” were a source of strength for them. Obama recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s words on religious tolerance, and said it was important that India upheld its “foundational value” of religious freedom so as to be an example to the rest of the world. Obama named actor Shah Rukh Khan, athletics legend Milkha Singh and boxer M C Mary Kom as examples of India’s diversity.
Obama didn’t directly refer to the work by Sangh Parivaraffiliates — the Vishva Hindu Parishad, for example — which have carried out campaigns in the name of ‘ghar wapsi’ and against religious conversions in recent months, but spoke of rising intolerance and terror incidents across the world. He said India, as also the US, should guard against the “darkest impulses of man” that might use religion to divide the society. Obama said India will be successful if it isn’t “splintered” on religious or any other lines.
The US president said his wife and his “Christian faith” were a source of strength for them. Obama recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s words on religious tolerance, and said it was important that India upheld its “foundational value” of religious freedom so as to be an example to the rest of the world. Obama named actor Shah Rukh Khan, athletics legend Milkha Singh and boxer M C Mary Kom as examples of India’s diversity.
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