Indian president calls on Indians to shun violence, intolerance

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday urged Indians to shun "violence, intolerance and unreason" in a reference to the rise of incidents of religious clashes and violence against lower caste people in the country over the past one year.

In his annual Republic Day eve address, Mukherjee said that it is important to ensure that all citizens got justice, equality, and gender and economic equity.

"When grim instances of violence hit at these established values which are at the core of our nationhood, it is time to take note," he said.

"A spirit of accommodation, cooperation and consensus-building should be the preferred mode of decision-making," he added.

Mukherjee also expressed confidence in the capability of Indian economy to grow further despite global slowdown.

"This year, with an estimated growth rate of 7.3 percent, India is poised to become the fastest growing large economy," he said. Endit