President’s
address to the nation on the eve of India’s 69th Independence Day
Fellow citizens: 1. On the eve of
68th anniversary of our Independence I extend warm greetings to you and to all
Indians around the world. I convey my special greetings to members of our armed
forces, paramilitary forces and internal security forces. I also congratulate
all our sportspersons who have participated and won laurels in various
tournaments in India and abroad. My congratulations to Shri Kailash Satyarthi,
Nobel Peace Prize winner for 2014, who has done the country proud.
Friends: 2. On 15th August 1947, we
won political freedom. The birth of modern India was a moment of historic
exhilaration; but it was also tinged with the blood of unimaginable suffering
along the length and breadth of our country. The ideals and convictions, that
had held through the travails of an epic struggle against British rule, were
under strain.
3. A great generation of supreme
heroes faced this formidable challenge. The sagacity and maturity of that
generation saved our ideals from deviation or degeneration under the pressure
of emotion, including rage. India’s pride, self-esteem and self-respect, born
from a civilizational wisdom which inspired the renaissance that won us
freedom, was distilled into the principles of our constitution by these
extraordinary men and women. We have been blessed by a constitution that
launched India’s march towards greatness.
4. The most precious gift of this
document was democracy, which reshaped our ancient values into a modern context
and institutionalized multiple freedoms. It turned liberty into a living
opportunity for the oppressed and impoverished, offered equality and positive
discrimination to the many millions, who had suffered social injustice, and
instituted a gender revolution that has made our country an example of progress.
We abolished archaic customs and laws, and ensured change for women through
education and jobs. Our institutions are the infrastructure of this idealism.
Fellow citizens: 5. The finest
inheritance needs constant care for preservation. Our institutions of democracy
are under stress. The Parliament has been converted into an arena of combat
rather than debate. It is time to recall what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Chairman of
the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, said while making his closing
speech in the Constituent Assembly in November 1949 and I quote:
“The working of a constitution does
not depend wholly upon the nature of the constitution. The constitution can
provide only the organs of state, such as the legislature, the executive and
the judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the state
depends are the people and the political parties they will set up as their
instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics. Who can say how the
people of India and their parties will behave?” (unquote)
If the institutions of democracy are
under pressure, it is time for serious thinking by the people and their
parties. The correctives must come from within.
Fellow citizens: 6. Our country’s
rise will be measured by the strength of our values, but it will equally be
determined by economic growth and equitable distribution of the nation’s
resources. Our economy promises much hope for the future. The new chapters of
the ‘India Story’ are waiting to be written. ‘Economic reforms’ is a
work-in-progress. Our performance over the last decade has been commendable;
and it is most heartening that after a dip, we have recovered to 7.3% growth in
2014-15. But the benefits of growth must reach the poorest of the poor much
before they land in the bank accounts of the richest of the rich. We are an
inclusive democracy, and an inclusive economy; there is place for everyone in
the hierarchy of wealth. But the first call goes to those who suffer on the
brink of deprivation. Our policies must be geared to meet the ‘Zero Hunger’
challenge in a foreseeable future.
Fellow citizens: 7. The symbiotic
relationship between man and nature has to be preserved. A generous nature when
violated can turn into a destructive force leading to calamities resulting in
huge loss of life and property. Even as I speak, large parts of the nation are
barely recovering from floods. We need immediate relief for the afflicted as
well as long-term solutions for the management of both, water deficiency and
excess.
Fellow citizens: 8. A nation which
forgets the idealism of its past loses something vital from its future. Our
educational institutions multiply as the aspirations of generations continue to
exceed supply. But what has happened to quality, from base to apex? We recall
the guru-shishya parampara with legitimate pride; why then have we abandoned
the care, devotion and commitment that is at the heart of this relationship? A
guru much like the soft and skilful hands of a potter, moulds the destiny of
shishya. The student with devotion and humility acknowledges the debt of the
teacher. Society respects and recognizes the merit and scholarship of the
teacher. Is that happening in our education system today? Students, teachers
and authorities must pause and introspect.
Fellow citizens: 9. Our democracy is
creative because it is plural, but diversity must be nourished with tolerance
and patience. Vested interests chip away at social harmony, in an attempt to
erode many centuries of secularism. In an age of instant communication through
ever-improving technology, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the devious
designs of a few never overcome the essential oneness of our people. For both
government and people the rule of law is sacrosanct, but society is also
protected by something greater than law: humanity. Mahatma Gandhi said and I
quote: “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few
drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty” (unquote).
Friends: 10. Peace, friendship and
cooperation bind nations and peoples together. Recognizing the shared destiny
of the Indian sub-continent, we must strengthen connectivity, expand
institutional capacity and enhance mutual trust to further regional
cooperation. As we make progress in advancing our interests globally, India is
also engaged in pro-actively promoting goodwill and prosperity in our immediate
neighbourhood. It is heartening that the long pending land boundary issue with
Bangladesh has been finally resolved.
Fellow citizens: 11. While we offer
our hand willingly in friendship, we cannot stay blind to deliberate acts of
provocation and a deteriorating security environment. India is a target of
vicious terrorist groups operating from across the borders. Except the language
of violence and the cult of evil, these terrorists have no religion and adhere
to no ideology. Our neighbours must ensure that their territory is not used by
forces inimical to India. Our policy will remain one of zero tolerance for
terrorism. We reject any attempt to use terrorism as an instrument of state
policy. Infiltration into our territory and attempts to create mayhem will be
dealt with a strong hand.
12. I pay homage to the martyrs who
made the supreme sacrifice of their lives defending India. I salute the courage
and heroism of our security forces who are maintaining an eternal vigil to
safeguard the territorial integrity of our country and the safety of our
people. I also specially commend the brave civilians who boldly detained a
hardened terrorist ignoring the risk to their own lives.
Fellow citizens: 13. India is a
complex country of 1.3 billion people, 122 languages, 1600 dialects and 7
religions. Its strength lies in its unique capacity to blend apparent
contradictions into positive affirmations. In the words of Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, it is a country held together and I quote: “by strong but invisible
threads….. About her there is the elusive quality of a legend of long ago; some
enchantment seems to have held her mind. She is a myth and an idea, a dream and
a vision, and yet very real and present and pervasive” (unquote).
14. On the fertile ground laid by
our Constitution, India has blossomed into a vibrant democracy. The roots are
deep but the leaves are beginning to wilt. It is time for renewal.
15. If we do not act now, will our
successors seven decades hence remember us with the respect and admiration we
have for those who shaped the Indian dream in 1947? The answer may not be
comfortable, but the question has to be asked.
Thank you.
Jai Hind!
