"As we stand today to inaugurate the 18th International Children's Film Festival of India (ICFFI), it should also provide us an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to ensure that totalitarianism, fascism and all such sectarian mindsets which squeeze liberal spaces are ostracised from the mainstream of human thought," he said.
He said "Sarv dharm samabhav" (equal respect for all faiths and views) has been the guiding philosophy of the country.
"Film festivals are not only occasions to showcase creativity, innovation, enterprise, but also provide an occasion to reinforce the most fundamental of all inalienable rights, the right to plurality of thought and expression," he said.
As a city, Hyderabad has imbibed the tradition of assimilation of various thought processes without losing its unique Indian values of plurality, he said.
He thanked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who inaugurated the event, for participating in the function by cancelling an important meeting in Delhi.
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