New Delhi: Outgoing Vice President Hamid Ansari on Sunday delivered his final address at the 25th annual convocation of the National Law School of India University in Bengaluru before leaving the office. While addressing the gathering, Ansari warned against military might halo and also expressed concerns over the insecurity among Dalits and minorities in his speech. According to Indian Express, Ansari said, that cultural nationalism is an “illiberal form of nationalism”, which “promotes intolerance and an arrogant patriotism”. He added that “citizenship does imply national obligations….it necessitates adherence to and affection for the nation in all its rich diversity.”

Hamid Ansari who served as the 12th Vice President of India since August 11, 2007 and is set to leave office on August 10, 2017 while talking about nationalism said, “This is what nationalism means, and should mean, in a global community of nations. The Israeli scholar Yael Tamir has dwelt on this at some length. Liberal nationalism, she opines, ‘requires a state of mind characterised by tolerance and respect of diversity for members of one’s own group and for others’; hence, it is ‘polycentric by definition’ and ‘celebrates the particularity of culture with the universality of human rights, the social and cultural embeddedness of individuals together with their personal autonomy’.” He quoted Yael Tamir and added, “On the other hand, ‘the version of nationalism that places cultural commitments at its core is usually perceived as the most conservative and illiberal form of nationalism. It promotes intolerance and arrogant patriotism’.”

While talking about the growing insecurity among the minorities in the country, Ansari said, “Indian politicians and leaders need to promote the value of fraternity enshrined in the Constitution more firmly to address the growing insecurity in sections of society.” He added, “It has to become an essential national virtue to promote harmony transcending sectional diversities. The urgency of giving this a practical shape at national, state and local levels through various suggestions in the public domain is highlighted by enhanced apprehensions of insecurity amongst segments of our citizen body, particularly Dalits, Muslims and Christians.”