President Pranab Mukherjee, as he was addressing the 52nd convocation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), urged the future corporate leaders to favor the atmosphere of free debate and discussion but any preference to confrontation and conflict should not be given.
President said "the country's economic environment and institutional atmosphere must be kept free from physical as well as mental violence." To make his point more strong he also mentioned the excellence of the ancient India's higher academic institutes such as Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila.
"They used to attract great minds in the form of scholars and researchers and were also known for endorsing liberalism and being the ideal place for confluence of various thoughts, ideas and views. Let us commit ourselves that we will accept criticism of others, we can be argumentative but let us not be described by others as intolerant. I hope that it will be acceptable to you." said the President. However, he made it clear that he is not ready to accept Indians as intolerant.
"I am ready to accept that I am argumentative but I am not ready to accept that I am intolerant. India is land of tolerance. India is land of Buddha, India is land of Gandhi, India is land of Asoka. We accept, we absolve we embrace and we don't reject anybody. Please keep that in mind," he said.
He also took the opportunity to remind students that the IIM Calcutta was found on the same day as birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India. He was the man who established liberal institutions, and promote the atmosphere in which they can have free debate and discussions in the country.
"I have been repeating this almost like a parrot at every academic congregation. I am happy today to say that on the eve of departure from the office of President of India that several institutions, IITs are coming up and occupying their rightful place among top world institutes," he said.
In the convocation over 500 students were awarded diploma and 13 were granted diploma in fellowship program.