Tolerance for pluralism, compassion for all and love for the motherland are core civilisational values of India where hundreds of languages and all major religions live under one system, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Thursday.
"The idea of Bharat flows from eternal wisdom of our rich traditions. Our core civilisational values, which are equally relevant today - speak of love for motherland, performance of duty, compassion for all, tolerance for pluralism, honesty in life, self restraint in conduct, responsibility in action and discipline," said Mukherjee speaking at an event here organised by an RSS body and IGNOU.
He added that India is a land of great tradition and discovery which can rise above apparent contradictions and thrive on a composite culture.
"Sometimes I wonder about the huge diversity in which we live and we manage to thrive, 200 languages, 1,800 dialects, all seven major religions in the world, every ethnic group, yet we live under one system, one flag, one Constitution, this is to my mind - Bharatiya approach," he said at the event.