Pawan Kalyan raises toast to India's tolerance

At a time when a narrative has been built that India is becoming an intolerant society, actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan has said that India's strength is tolerance.

"Whenever anyone is endangered in our plural society, there are crores of people in this country who will stand up for them. We all stand for one Bharat," he said.

Juxtaposing the state of affairs in Pakistan with that in India, Power Star said, "Have they ever made a Hindu their President or Prime Minister. Do Hindus have protection in their country? We have made Abdul Kalam and Zakir Hussain as our President. India is a mutli-cultural, multi-religious society whose history we should all learn about."

Talking about the importance of the idea of a nation-state, he said, "Only those who don't have a state to call their own would know the indispensability of a country. For example, Palestinians," he said. Pawan wasn't oblivious to the challenges.  "There are problems. We are politically one, but we are yet to be one as a people," the 47-year-old actor said, driving home the message of integration.  

"I was once to Kashmir. They thought I was from Madras desham," he said, reiterating the importance of becoming truly one as a nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Getting political, Pawan sagely said, "Imposing any one culture or language would not be good."

"Jana Sena Party will have equal respect for all sections of people," he said, espousing his party's stand. On work front, Pawan Kalyan is currently working for director Trivikram's movie.