Text of Jawaharlal Nehru's Reply to debate on the President's Address in India's Parliament, New Delhi, August 11, 1951

You heard the hon. Member from Kashmir today and the attitude he represents is as different from communalism as anything could be. My friend, Mr Alva, talked a great deal about a secular State. I wish we were much more of a secular State than we are at present. I wish also that we would approach the ideal we have adopted in our Constitution. Too many people are attacking that ideal; too many people are trying to undermine it. If they do not actually attack it they act in a way which will undermine it. In other words, there are far too many people in this country who are communal and narrow. In Kashmir, it was a straight fight between communalism and the ideal that we hold and it is still the same fight. It is quite absurd to talk of India and Pakistan fighting for possession of Kashmir as if it was some booty to be seized by the stronger party. In Kashmir, people have struggled for a basic ideal. The Kashmiri people have also fought for that ideal more than our Armies did...

I was talking about Kashmir and the wonderful way in which the people of Kashmir have risen to the occasion. I deeply regret that a small section of the community, especially in Jammu, has played a game which can only be of advantage to Pakistan. It amazes me how the spirit of communal fanaticism makes people blind even to their own interests. The Constituent Assembly is going to be elected next month in Kashmir. The Hindus of Jammu are trying to put difficulties in the way of the Constituent Assembly as well as in the way of the National Conference and doing so in the most vulgar language. This is immature and childish. If I am anxious about anything today, it is the communal spirit in India. Before I can deal with the communal spirit of Pakistan, I want to deal with the communal spirit in India, the communal spirit of the Hindus and Sikhs more than that of the Muslims. I want this House to realise that this spirit will stand in the way of our progress and weaken us. In the event of a war, we cannot fight the enemy if mischief is done behind our backs. No army can fight if its base is not strong. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that this wild and vague communal talk be put an end to at once. I am stressing this because people tend to express their great patriotism by cursing Pakistan and the Muslims. I want this House and this country to feel friendly to the people of Pakistan, because those poor people are not much to blame anyhow. What would you and I do in their place?
--Jawaharlal Nehru
[Reply to debate on the President's Address in Parliament, New Delhi, August 11, 1951]