The President's address on the eve of Republic Day 2014
Saturday, 25 January 2014
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Full text of the President's address on the eve of Republic Day
My Fellow Citizens:
1. On the eve of 65th Republic Day, I extend warm
greetings to all of you in India and abroad. I convey my special
greetings to members of our Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces and
Internal Security Forces.
2. The Republic Day commands the respect of every
Indian. On this day, sixty four years ago, in a remarkable display of
idealism and courage, we the people of India gave to ourselves a
sovereign democratic republic to secure all its citizens justice,
liberty and equality. We undertook to promote among all citizens
fraternity, the dignity of the individual and the unity of the nation.
These ideals became the lodestar of the modern Indian State. Democracy
became our most precious guide towards peace and regeneration from the
swamp of poverty created by centuries of colonial rule. From within the
spacious provisions of our Constitution, India has grown into a
beautiful, vibrant, and sometimes noisy democracy. For us, the democracy
is not a gift, but the fundamental right of every citizen; for those
in power democracy is a sacred trust. Those who violate this trust
commit sacrilege against the nation.
3. Some cynics may scoff at our commitment to
democracy but our democracy has never been betrayed by the people; its
fault-lines, where they exist, are the handiwork of those who have made
power a gateway to greed. We do feel angry, and rightly so, when we see
democratic institutions being weakened by complacency and
incompetence. If we hear sometimes an anthem of despair from the
street, it is because people feel that a sacred trust is being
violated.
Fellow Citizens:
4. Corruption is a cancer that erodes democracy, and
weakens the foundations of our state. If Indians are enraged, it is
because they are witnessing corruption and waste of national resources.
If governments do not remove these flaws, voters will remove
governments.
5. Equally dangerous is the rise of hypocrisy in
public life. Elections do not give any person the licence to flirt
with illusions. Those who seek the trust of voters must promise only
what is possible. Government is not a charity shop. Populist anarchy
cannot be a substitute for governance. False promises lead to
disillusionment, which gives birth to rage, and that rage has one
legitimate target: those in power.
6. This rage will abate only when governments
deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic
progress, not at a snail's pace, but with the speed of a racehorse. The
aspirational young Indian will not forgive a betrayal of her future.
Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the
people. Those in politics should understand that every election comes
with a warning sign: perform, or perish.
7. I am not a cynic because I know that democracy
has this marvellous ability to self-correct. It is the physician that
heals itself, and 2014 must become a year of healing after the
fractured and contentious politics of the last few years.
My Fellow Citizens:
8. The last decade witnessed the emergence of India
as one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The slowdown of
our economy in the last two years can be some cause for concern but
none for despair. The green shoots of revival are already visible. The
agricultural growth in the first half of this year has touched 3.6 per
cent and rural economy is buoyant.
9. 2014 is a precipice moment in our history. We
must re-discover that sense of national purpose and patriotism, which
lifts the nation above and across the abyss; and back on to the road of
prosperity. Give the young jobs and they will raise the villages and
cities to 21st century standards. Give them a chance and you will marvel
at the India they can create.
10. This chance will not come if India does not get a
stable government. This year, we will witness the 16th General
Election to our Lok Sabha. A fractured government, hostage to whimsical
opportunists, is always an unhappy eventuality. In 2014, it could be
catastrophic. Each one of us is a voter; each one of us has a deep
responsibility; we cannot let India down. It is time for introspection
and action.
11. India is not just a geography: it is also a history of ideas, philosophy, intellect, industrial genius, craft, innovation, and experience. The promise of India has sometimes
been mislaid by misfortune; at other times by our own complacence and
weakness. Destiny has given us another opportunity to recover what we
have lost; we will have no one to blame but ourselves if we falter.
Fellow Citizens:
12. A democratic nation is always involved in
argument with itself. This is welcome, for we solve problems through
discussion and consent, not force. But healthy differences of opinion
must not lead to an unhealthy strife within our polity. Passions are
rising over whether we should have smaller states to extend equitable
development to all parts of a state. A debate is legitimate but it
should conform to democratic norms. The politics of divide and rule has
extracted a heavy price on our subcontinent. If we do not work
together, nothing ever will work.
13. India must find its own solutions to its
problems. We must be open to all knowledge; to do otherwise would be to
condemn our nation to the misery of a stagnant mire. But we should not
indulge in the easy option of mindless imitation, for that can lead us
to a garden of weeds. India has the intellectual prowess, the human
resource and financial capital to shape a glorious future. We possess a
dynamic civil society with an innovative mindset. Our people, whether
in villages or cities, share a vibrant, unique consciousness and
culture. Our finest assets are human.
Fellow Citizens:
14. Education has been an inseparable part of the
Indian experience. I am not talking only of the ancient institutions of
excellence like Takshashila or Nalanda, but of an age as recent as the
17th and 18th centuries. Today, our higher educational infrastructure
consists of over 650 universities and 33,000 colleges. The quality of
education has to be the focus of our attention now. We can be world
leaders in education, if only we discover the will and leadership to
take us to that pinnacle. Education is no longer just the privilege of
the elite, but a universal right. It is the seed of a nation’s destiny.
We must usher in an education revolution that becomes a launching pad
for the national resurgence.
15. I am being neither immodest, nor beating a false
drum, when I claim that India can become an example to the world.
Because, the human mind flourishes best when it is, as the great sage
Rabindranath Tagore said, free from fear; when it has the liberty to
roam into spheres unknown; in search of wisdom; and when the people have
the fundamental right to propose as well as oppose.
My Fellow Citizens:
16. There will be a new government before I speak to
you again on the eve of our Independence Day. Who wins the coming
election is less important than the fact that whosoever wins must have
an undiluted commitment to stability, honesty, and the development of
India. Our problems will not disappear overnight. We live in a
turbulent part of the world where factors of instability have grown in
the recent past. Communal forces and terrorists will still seek to
destabilize the harmony of our people and the integrity of our state but
they will never win. Our security and armed forces, backed by the
steel of popular support, have proved that they can crush an enemy
within; with as much felicity as they guard our frontiers. Mavericks
who question the integrity of our armed services are irresponsible and
should find no place in public life.
17. India's true strength lies in her Republic; in
the courage of her commitment, the sagacity of her Constitution, and
the patriotism of her people. 1950 saw the birth of our Republic. I am
sure that 2014 will be the year of resurgence.
Jai Hind!
Categories:
common man,
development,
India
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