Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said that secularism is essential to keep the nation together. Speaking at an international conference commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in New Delhi today, she said, secularism is a compelling necessity for a country as diverse as India.

While hailing Pandit Nehru as a leader who embedded democracy into India's consciousness, Mrs Gandhi lamented that knowledge about his life and work has weakened recently due to misrepresentation and distortion.

She added that democracy, which was an enduring legacy of Pandit Nehru, is being taken for granted in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, former President of Afghanistan Dr Hamid Karzai said Pandit Nehru's world view was that of equality, cooperation and peaceful co-existence.

AIR Correspondent reports that Congress has invited eminent global leaders and representatives of over a dozen international and national parties to the two-day event. Its aim is to renew the legacy and vision of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.