Prez elect wants India's secular credentials to be strong

NEW DELHI: President-elect Pratibha Patil wants the country's secular credentials to be strengthened besides fostering gender equality and "brotherhood" among its people irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

"Our India is a secular country. This is the image and we have to make it stronger (secular)," she said when asked how she would like tin comparision to the outgoing President A P J Abdul Kalam's "Vision 2020".

Patil said in an interview to Doordarshan that though there are so many religions, castes and sects in the country, there should be a sense of "brotherhood" among them.

Asserting that the country make speedy progress, she said "I think that India should make adequate economic, social and educational progress and immediately....The country's poverty and unemployment should be removed and there should be gender equality among men and women in the country".

Referring to upper and lower caste divides, Patil said this should immediately end.

She also wanted India's civilisation to be exposed properly across the world.

"India's civilisation should be exposed properly across the world. Though it is there but it has to be further spread", she said adding that "we have to make a stronger India from all perspectives".