A/53/279 as was confirmed during the course of the mission during visits to schools, in discussions with pupils and teachers and by the perusal of textbooks. However, this approach must be adopted throughout the country to cover India’s entire private and public school system in order to develop the awareness of the masses. It is of vital importance that human rights and tolerance should become the concern of all and not remain the exclusive preserve of the élite”, the Special Rapporteur would appreciate if you could indicate your comments as well as measures undertaken and/or envisaged by your Government. Comments and measures As observed by the Special Rapporteur, the broadbasing of the teaching of tolerance, specially in a country with a high rate of illiteracy, is of vital importance. The teaching of tolerance has to start with universal education and what is taught in schools has to be supplemented by the family, social and religious organizations and the media. Modern as well as traditional media of mass communication are also being used for the promotion of national integration. Campaign programmes for adult literacy have a built-in component of this nature. These activities would receive a further impetus from the National Action Plan, currently under elaboration, to realize the goals of the United Nations Decade on Human Rights Education. Commemorative activities being planned for the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights also have a strong promotional/human rights education focus. The above approaches will build on the strengths of Indian society and avoid the impression of being “top-down” or pedagogical. Recommendations Taking into account paragraph 97 of the report, “The Special Rapporteur also recommends that the Centre for Human Rights should provide advisory services on the organization at the federal and State level of training courses for teachers in preschool, primary or basic and secondary educational establishments to make them aware of the importance of teaching the principles of tolerance and nondiscrimination based on religion and belief”, the Special Rapporteur would appreciate if you could indicate your comments as well as measures undertaken and/or envisaged by your Government. Comments and measures The various programmes described in the preceding paragraphs indicate the high level of importance given to the teaching of tolerance in India through human rights education. Further, through its resolution on tolerance and pluralism at 20 the Commission on Human Rights, India has also been encouraging the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop expertise in propagating these values through its own programmes. We would be happy to see the results of such work carried out by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, including in the area of best practices for the promotion of tolerance. Recommendations Taking into account paragraph 98 of the report, “As regards Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, the Special Rapporteur urges all the parties concerned – official and nonofficial, national and foreign – to act calmly and refrain from exacerbating religious problems to ensure that immutable religious principles are not affected by political considerations at the expense of the religious rights of the communities and, more generally, of tolerance and nondiscrimination based on religion or belief”, the Special Rapporteur would appreciate if you could indicate your comments as well as measures undertaken and/or envisaged by your Government. Comments and measures We agree with the Special Rapporteur that religion should not be exploited to further a political programme, either national or international. The maintenance of religious tolerance or the protection of human rights in general has been affected adversely in certain areas by the activities of non-State actors. While dealing firmly with violent extremism, India will strive to ensure that this has no impact on tolerance, religious rights of minorities and nondiscrimination based on religion and belief. In this task, it takes comfort from the innate respect for diversity in the Indian ethos. It is significant to note that despite a clear plan to widen the communal divide through terrorist attacks, communal violence never became a problem in either Punjab or Jammu and Kashmir.