Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday deplored “blatant violation” of the right to freedom of thought by “some violent extremist groups” and shared the view that it was an “assault on the nation”.
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“The nation is deeply concerned at the recent tragic instances of blatant violation of the right to freedom of thought, belief, speech and expression in our country by some violent extremist groups.
“The assault or murder of thinkers for no more than disagreement with their views, or (of people) because of the food they eat, or their caste, cannot be justified on any grounds. Nor can the suppression of the right to dissent be allowed,” he said in his inaugural address at a conference in Delhi ahead of the 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Unity and respect for diversity, secularism and pluralism are vital of the survival of the republic, Dr. Singh said, adding that peace is essential not only for human existence and survival, but also for economic and intellectual growth and development.
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“Capital is likely to be frightened away by conflict,” Dr. Singh observed in an apparent message to the Narendra Modi dispensation that is working hard to seek investment.
He said suppression of dissent or free speech poses a grave danger for economic development. “There can be no free market without freedom.”