President’s Address to the Nation on the Eve of India’s 67th Independence Day
Presidents Secretariat
Following is the text of the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee’s
address to the Nation on the eve of the 67th Independence Day:
“Fellow citizens:1. On the eve of the 66th anniversary of our Independence, I extend warm greetings to you and to all Indians around the world.
2.
My thoughts turn first towards the Father of our Nation, Mahatma
Gandhi, who shaped our liberation struggle and the martyrs who made
supreme sacrifice for the freedom of our country and great patriots
whose relentless struggle liberated our motherland from the colonial
rule of nearly two hundred years. Gandhiji sought freedom from both
foreign rule as well as the indigenous social chains that had imprisoned
our society for long. He launched every Indian on a path of self-belief
and hope for a better future. Gandhiji promised Swaraj- self-rule based
on tolerance and self-restraint. He promised freedom from want and
deprivation. For nearly seven decades now we have been masters of our
destiny. This is then the moment to ask: are we heading in the right
direction? Gandhiji`s vision cannot be turned into reality if we spurn
the very values that were compulsory to his cause: sincerity of effort,
honesty of purpose and sacrifice for the larger good.
3. Our
founding fathers created the first oasis in the desert of a colonized
world nourished by democracy. Democracy is much more than the right to
vote every five years; its essence is the aspirations of the masses; its
spirit must influence the responsibilities of the leaders and duties of
the citizens every day. Democracy breathes through a vibrant
Parliament, an independent judiciary, a responsible media, a vigilant
civil society, and a bureaucracy committed to integrity and hard work.
It survives through accountability, not profligacy. And yet we have
allowed unbridled personal enrichment, self-indulgence, intolerance,
discourtesy in behavior and disrespect for authority to erode our work
culture. The biggest impact of the decay in the moral fiber of our
society is on the hopes and aspirations of the young and the poor.
Mahatma Gandhi had advised us to avoid, and I quote, “politics without
principles, wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge
without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity,
and worship without sacrifice”, (unquote). We have to pay heed to his
advice as we work towards building a modern democracy. The ideals of
patriotism, compassion, tolerance, self-restraint, honesty, discipline
and respect for women have to be converted into a living force.
Fellow citizens:4.
Institutions are a mirror of national character. Today we see
widespread cynicism and disillusionment with the governance and
functioning of institutions in our country. Our legislatures look more
like combat arenas, rather than fora that legislate. Corruption has
become a major challenge. The precious resources of the nation are being
wasted through indolence and indifference. It is sapping the dynamism
of our society. We need to correct this regression.
5. Our
Constitution provides a delicate balance of power between various
institutions of the State. This balance has to be maintained. We need a
Parliament that debates, discusses and decides. We need a judiciary that
gives justice without delays. We need leadership that is committed to
the nation and those values that made us a great civilization. We need a
state that inspires confidence among people in its ability to surmount
challenges before us. We need a media and citizens who, even as they
claim their rights, are equally committed to their responsibilities.
Fellow citizens:6.
A re-ordering of the society can be brought about through the
educational system. We cannot aspire to be a world class power without a
single world class university. History records that we were the
cynosure of the world once. Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramashila, Valabhi,
Somapura and Odantapuri comprised the ancient university system that
dominated the world for eighteen hundred years beginning Sixth Century
BC. They were a magnet for the finest minds and scholars in the world.
We must seek to regain that space. A university is the banyan tree whose
roots lie in basic education, in a vast network of schools that build
the intellectual prowess of our communities; we have to invest in every
part of this knowledge tree, from seed, root and branch to the highest
leaf.
Fellow Citizens:7. There is a direct
relationship between a successful democracy and a successful economy,
for we are a people-driven nation. People serve their interests best
when they participate in decision- making at the level of panchayat and
other forms of local government. We have to rapidly empower the local
bodies with functions, functionaries and finances to improve their
performance. Faster growth has given us the resources, but larger
outlays have not translated into better outcomes. Without inclusive
governance, we cannot achieve inclusive growth.
8. For a
developing country of more than 1.2 billion people, the debate between
growth and redistribution is vital. While growth builds the scope for
redistribution, redistribution sustains growth over time. Both are
equally important. A disproportionate emphasis on any one, at the
expense of the other, can have adverse consequences for the nation.
9.
The last decade has seen India emerge as one of the fastest growing
nations in the world. During this period, our economy grew annually at
an average rate of 7.9 per cent. We are today self-sufficient in food
grains production. We are the largest exporter of rice and second
largest exporter of wheat in the world. The record production of 18.45
million tonne of pulses this year augurs well for our march towards
self-sufficiency in pulses. This was unthinkable just a few years ago.
This momentum has to be sustained. In a globalized world, with
increasing economic complexities, we have to learn to cope better with
adversities, both external and domestic.
Fellow citizens:10.
At the dawn of our Independence, we lit the glowing lamp of modernity
and equitable economic growth. To keep this lamp aflame, our highest
priority has to be the elimination of poverty. Though a declining trend
in the poverty rate is clearly visible, our fight against this scourge
is far from over. India has the talent, ability and the resources to
overcome this challenge.
11. Reforms that have enabled us to come
this far have to be pursued at all levels of governance. Favorable
demographic changes over the next two decades can pay us handsome
dividends. It requires industrial transformation and rapid creation of
employment opportunities. It also requires an orderly urbanization
process. Several initiatives taken by the Government in the recent past
including the New Manufacturing Policy, the renewal of urban
infrastructure and the ambitious skill training programme will need
close monitoring in the coming years.
12. We have given our
citizens entitlements backed by legal guarantees in terms of right to
employment, education, food and information. We now have to ensure that
these entitlements lead to real empowerment for the people. We need
robust delivery mechanisms to make these legislations work. New
benchmarks of efficient public service delivery and accountability have
to be established. The Direct Benefits Transfer Scheme, launched earlier
this year, will bring in greater transparency, enhance efficiency and
eliminate wastage of precious resources.
Fellow citizens:13.
In our race for development, we must be careful not to disturb the
balance between man and nature. The consequences of such imbalance can
be disastrous. My heartfelt condolences to the many who lost their
lives, and the innumerable who suffered in Uttarakhand; and my
salutations to those brave personnel of our security and armed forces,
government and NGOs who did so much to alleviate suffering. This tragedy
owes as much to the avarice of human nature as to the rage of Mother
Nature. This was nature’s wake-up call. And it is time to wake up.
Fellow citizens:14.
We have seen in the recent past grave challenges to our security,
internal as well as external. The barbaric face of Maoist violence in
Chhattisgarh led to a loss of many innocent lives. Despite India`s
consistent efforts to build friendly relations with neighbours, there
have been tensions on the border and repeated violations of the
Ceasefire on the Line of Control, leading to tragic loss of lives. Our
commitment to peace is unfailing but even our patience has limits. All
steps necessary to ensure internal security and protect the territorial
integrity of the nation will be taken. I applaud the courage and heroism
of our security and armed forces who maintain eternal vigilance and pay
homage to those who have made the supreme sacrifice of the most
precious gift of life in the service of the motherland.
15. There
will be a general election in our country before I have the privilege
of addressing you again on the eve of our next independence day. This
great festival of democracy, is an opportunity for us to elect a stable
government which will ensure security and economic development. Every
election must become a crucial milestone in our nation’s journey towards
greater social harmony, peace and prosperity.
16. Democracy has
given us an opportunity to re-create another golden age. Let us not
squander this extraordinary opportunity. The journey ahead calls for
wisdom, courage and determination. We must work on across-the-board
revival of our values and institutions. We must realize that rights go
with responsibilities. We must re-discover the virtue of self-scrutiny
and self-restraint.
17. Let me conclude by quoting from the great
classic Bhagvad Gita where the Teacher propounds his views and then
says, and I quote, “ÿatha icchasi tatha kuru” “even as you choose, so
you do. I do not wish to impose my views on you. I have presented to you
what I think is right. Now it is for your conscience, for your
judgment, for your mind to decide what is right.” (unquote)
On your decisions rests the future of our democracy.
"Jai Hind”***
SC/SH/SK
(Release ID :98292)
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