Tolerance is a virtue. It is deeply embedded in the ethos of Indian civilisation, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Sunday, adding it is the premise of harmony and inclusivity in society.

”It is an inalienable facet of social harmony,” he said delivering his address as Chief Guest at the Culmination of Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Maharaja Agrasen Technical Education Society (MATES) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

“Without social harmony, everything else becomes irrelevant. If there is no peace at home, it doesn’t matter how much wealth there is, or how big the house is. Social harmony is our ornament. We have seen this for centuries,” the Vice-President said.

“I urge all of you, be receptive, be tolerant; that will always be rewarding. And in every action, ask yourself, ‘How can I increase social harmony?’ At the end of the day, we are not robots to promote the economy. We are human beings. We are part of a nation that is a 5,000-year-old civilisation, ” he added.

Reflecting on the need to focus on duties as a citizen along with rights, he stated, “We are very conscious of our rights, but every right is qualified by your duty. And according to me, just as the nation’s interest is above political and personal interests, similarly, your every right, your fundamental right, is superseded by your responsibility. It is your civic duty. Duties must always take precedence over rights.”

Mr Dhankhar said it is never a compulsion that when someone expresses his/her opinion, it must be accepted. ”But not listening to their point of view, not reflecting upon it, not contemplating it—this is not a part of our civilisation. We never indulge in heart-to-heart differences. Opinions will differ, but differing opinions are a form of energy that allows individuals to course correct. And even if nothing else, it shows you the other side of the coin,” he added.

Lauding the newly launched internship scheme and National Education Policy (NEP), he observed that it provides experiential learning and critical thinking, while enabling industry-academia partnership for research. The new mechanism which has been evolved for internships for the youth by the government in the last budget is going to be a game-changer.