Pressing the need for inclusive growth, President Pratibha Patil today said development of the country should bring opportunities to all sections of people and help establish an unassailable unity among countrymen.
She said besides focusing on economic growth, India also needs to build a society where differences are sorted out amicably and tolerance overrules conflict.
As the country looks forward to the promise of a bright future, Patil said, it must know that adhering to harmony and secularism is very essential for a nation as vast and varied as India.
"We have to weld the entire nation into a strong, unassailable unity. Pursuing a growth path that is inclusive, is essential to bring overall progress and prosperity in the country," President Patil said while speaking here at the 'Vishva Konkani Ekta Divas'.
The 25-day celebrations are being held to mark the first World Konkani Cultural Convention to showcase the heritage and traditions of the Konkani people.
The President pointed out that the Konkani people, a "peace-loving" community of nearly 50 lakh people along the western coastline of India, were one of the most diverse denominations of the country with many community identities but the bond of a common language overrules their differences.
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Patil said for the nation to be one, its varied communities have to learn to be accommodative and tolerant.
"We must follow a pattern of behaviour, in which every individual must act responsibly and where differences are addressed in a constructive and accommodative manner.
"Our tradition of living in accord with each other must continue to form an integral part of the rhythm of life that makes our nation strong and united," she said in the presence of Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj, Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva and Karnataka's Higher Education Minister V S Acharya among others.
The President said, we have a commitment to work for a nation where all its citizens have an opportunity to prosper.
After honouring selected people for their contribution to preserve Konkani culture across the world, Patil complimented the community for their progressiveness and inclination to education and said she encouraged efforts to promote Konkani literature.
"Unity in diversity and harmony are the essential features of the country. Konkani language and its people represent the essence of India and its identity," she said.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhardwaj said in a country that needs unifying factors and urges, the Konkani speaking people were a fine example of a community who have rallied together rising above their differences.