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”. 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!
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