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!
