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ADDRESS OF H.E. THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SMT.
PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL TO THE NATION ON THE EVE OF THE 61ST REPUBLIC
DAY ON JANUARY 25, 2010
My fellow citizens,
On the eve of our 61st Republic Day, I extend my warmest greetings to
all of you across the country and also to those living abroad. To the
members of our Armed Forces and Para-military forces who guard our
frontiers and to our internal security forces, I extend my special
greetings.
26th January, this year marks the completion of six decades of working,
striving and, all along, being guided by the principles and objectives
of the Constitution that was framed after careful deliberations and
adopted in 1950. I often recall the speech of Mahatma Gandhi at the
launch of the Quit India Movement on 8th August, 1942, where he said
that power, when it comes, will belong to the people of India. The wish
of the Father of the Nation found expression in the very opening words
of the Constitution – We, the people of India. This was a strong
affirmation that the impulses of the nation and its future would be
guided by its people. They would reflect their aspirations and choices,
through democratic means. They would also enjoy the fundamental rights
that guarantee their freedoms and dignity. Today, is a reminder that
upholding the values, determining the direction and propelling the
growth of our nation is a task that must be fulfilled by every citizen
of the country. In the first decade of the 21st century, India witnessed
transformational changes. It also emerged as a force driving change in
the world. Our achievements and experiences have, indeed, brought the
nation to a definitional stage, where the promise of a bright future as
a developed and progressive nation is for us to claim, as we all work
together with conviction and commitment. However, as we overcome
deficiencies and convert our strengths into an energetic force, we must
remain deeply conscious of what we must preserve and what we must
change.
Foremost amongst what we must continue with, is our democratic
principles and way of life. We have ably demonstrated that we are a
functioning democracy, by time and again, choosing our governments
through the ballot and by taking democracy to the grassroots. Also, as
we are aware, democracy is very much more demanding. It is the rule of
law. It is the rule of reason. And, as India has shown to the world, it
is the rule of non-violence. Democracy involves a pattern of behavior,
in which every individual must act responsibly, show respect towards
dissimilar opinions and address differences in a constructive and
accommodative manner. This will build harmony and tolerance - values
which are intrinsic to our philosophy; these form the bedrock of a
society that embraces the diversity of language, religion and culture to
create a composite whole. These values must be followed uninterruptedly
in a nation that is, as vast and as varied as ours. Secularism, our
constitutionally chosen path, entails respect for all religions. Its
place in our national life is unalterable. India is a land where
followers of different religions have lived together for centuries. We
must maintain social cohesion. Our tradition of living in accord with
each other must continue to form an integral part of the rhythm of life
of our future generations
.
Belonging to a civilization that has deep reverence towards nature, we
must also be sensitive inhabitants of the Planet, in which climate
change has become a major challenge. We must judiciously use its
resources, work to conserve its rich flora and fauna as well as adopt
environment friendly approaches. Use of energy efficient technologies
and renewable sources of energy, are some steps that can reduce the
carbon footprint.
Dear Citizens,
Our nation has made significant strides. We are the fourth largest
economy of the world in terms of purchasing power parity. Our target of
achieving a double digit growth rate is plausible and realistic, given
our impressive performance during the last decade and our resilience
during the global economic downturn. We should continue with policies
that promote growth, and also take growth patterns to the bottom of the
pyramid and, to those currently outside its purview. Empowering the poor
and the disadvantaged, enabling them to move up the economic ladder, to
join the ranks of the prosperous, is a task that must be accomplished by
all of us. Women need to be made full and equal partners. The inclusive
growth strategy, which we have chosen, can make our growth process
equitable and sustainable.
The roadmap to inclusive growth requires social justice that can be
delivered through an effective social sector infrastructure. It should
make quality education and good health facilities available to all
citizens, along with social services and job opportunities. This, in
turn, will create a human resource base which has the skills, knowledge
and capacity to work productively. Hence, our attention must remain
focused on this, especially as we have a young population. They must be
nurtured and prepared for taking up their responsibilities. Future
growth in all sectors will depend on knowledge workers and skilled
workforces. They can make our economy dynamic, our service sector
efficient and competitive, our manufacturing industries broad based and
our agriculture and allied sectors strong. Furthermore, integrating and
developing linkages between sectors, say agriculture and industry, will
further reinforce growth. These linkages can be fortified by having
connectivity at various levels. For a nation which is the seventh
largest in geographical terms and the second largest in terms of
population, our existing physical infrastructure is inadequate. This
constrains and limits connectivity. We have to change this situation.
The number of bridges, roads, harbours as well as our power generation
capacity and transport facilities, among others, require extensive
additions. But, do not forget that along with these structures of
cement, steel and mortar, it is also important to bridge our
differences, build roads to connect hearts and minds, harbour
compassion, generate goodwill towards all and transport these feelings
to strengthen the unity of the nation. We will also have to create an
atmosphere for our citizens to exercise their rights and tell them to
perform their duties as well. This is important to make the development
of a democratic nation of over one billion people, participatory and
sustainable. In the next decade, not only must we witness the speedy
building up of infrastructure, but also a greater cohesiveness among
citizens.
A bottleneck and an impediment in bringing about the desired results,
for which policies and schemes have been formulated and huge allocation
of funds made, is weak implementation and corruption in the system. The
causes of the chronic ailment of tardy implementation have to be
treated. There should be accountability for lack of implementation of
projects, programmes and schemes. This is critical for bringing about
positive change.
Public-Private Partnerships and SHGs, that is Self-Help Groups, are
important mechanisms for outcome-oriented action and for creating a wide
network of stakeholders for growth. There have been numerous examples of
how women in urban and rural areas have been able to become financially
self-reliant through the SHG route. A movement towards universalisation
of SHGs, that brings within its ambit all eligible women, can be a
powerful instrument for the economic empowerment of women and for
inclusive growth. Facilitation of their formation and functioning will,
thus, create a wave of progress and change.
Dear Citizens,
The world over, as also in our country, there is a rising demand for
food-grains. This foretells the need for an intense focus on increasing
agriculture productivity to ensure food availability, particularly of
agricultural produces which are in short supply, to avoid spiraling food
prices. To achieve this very important objective, I call for urgent
steps towards a Second Green Revolution. There should be use of new
technologies, better seeds, improved farming practices, effective water
management techniques, as well as more intense frameworks for connecting
the farmer with the scientific community, with lending institutions and
with markets. Our farmers are ready and willing to work, earn and learn.
We have to respond positively and do some “out of the box thinking”.
Higher agriculture incomes will improve the living standards of the over
145 million rural households, in the over six lakh villages of the
country. With higher income levels, the rural economy will generate
demand and provide impetus for growth in other sectors. Recognizing this
reality, we have to involve the agriculture economy more pro-actively
into the growth process, both as a centre of production and as a
generator of demand for various products and services. There are many
complementarities that exist between farming communities and the
corporate world because both are private enterprises. The possibilities
of win-win partnerships between industry and agriculture should be
explored. For example, the food processing industry when located close
to agricultural areas can transform India's rural landscape. Currently,
food processing in India is as low as 10 percent of production, as
compared to 65 percent to 80 percent, generally seen in the developed
countries. Other agro-based industries would be equally important as
propellers of growth. The question is how to attract farmers into such
partnerships, which do not adversely affect, but rather keep the
interests of farmers in the forefront and take into account their
various sensitivities, particularly about their land-holdings. This
needs to be done in a farmer-friendly manner and by creating awareness
in the farming community. Some Indian companies have understood that
linking farmers to industrial units would be beneficial to both. They
have developed interesting models of engagement with the farming
community. We should study these experiences, as we look at viable
options that suit Indian conditions for harnessing the potential of
village economies.
Dear Citizens,
Today, the optimum use of capital or labour or resources across the
entire spectrum of our national activity is dependent on cutting-edge
technologies and technological breakthroughs. We need technologies for
more efficient and cleaner energy, for our industry and agriculture.
India has to chalk out strategies that will promote research and
development resulting in innovative methods and techniques. The quality
of research in our country must be upgraded to build knowledge
structures. I think the nation should take this up as an urgent calling.
A knowledge economy requires an education system that encourages
creativity and a capacity to think in a novel fashion. Also, our
research institutions should join global knowledge networks to keep
themselves abreast of worldwide advancements in research. Technology
should reach a broader section of our society, and also the movement of
grassroots innovations should receive encouragement.
A change which is required, and of which I have spoken often is the
eradication of social malpractices in particular those related to
discrimination against women. These pose a hindrance on our path to
building a more progressive and equitable nation. We should follow a
positive agenda for the empowerment of women. A change in our mindsets
will be important to remove prejudices and create equal opportunities
for all citizens. This is essential for our inclusive growth agenda and
for tapping the full potential of our population.
In any mission, particularly one as complex and challenging as nation
building, as has been said by our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, “We have to labour, and to work, and to work hard, to give
reality to our dreams.” For this, motivational levels have to be kept
high.
Media can have an important influence on how people see the country.
With relentless advances in technology, media is now an integral part of
our daily lives. It can create awareness by bringing information to the
people, getting them to reflect, and making them realize their
responsibilities towards the nation. With a media that plays a
constructive role, people would be inspired to take actions that would
contribute to building the nation and also to learn about the benefits
of positive actions.
For growth, an environment of security is essential. Government is
committed to maintain high vigil and take appropriate measures to
address internal security challenges. Our country has been a target of
terrorism for more than two decades. Government has taken and will
continue to take necessary steps to tackle threats emanating from
terrorism. It will also continue to work with the international
community to combat this menace. As in the past, in the future also, the
voice of India in the world would be a voice for peace, a voice for
development, and a voice of hope. In the global arena, we will seek a
change in the structure of multilateral institutions, so that they
reflect contemporary realities. We will continue to cooperate with the
international community to deal with global issues. We will seek to
build friendly relations with countries in our region and those across
the world.
As 2009 came to a close, there have been many analyses about what are
the possible prospects of the next decade for India. Some refer to it as
the deciding decade, the decade of reckoning. On reflection, I fully
agree that it will be so. It must, therefore, mean a decade in which all
Indians must do their work with a sense of responsibility, discipline,
integrity of mind and purpose as well as with a spirit of cooperation.
We will have to inspire our young generation so that they are virtuous,
with good character and a sense of fellow feeling towards others. We
must channelise all our efforts towards the goal of taking the country
to a higher level of all round national development and not rest till we
achieve our goal. We can then be proud that we have performed our duty
and borne our responsibility well. It is said that, fortune is an
outcome of good work and can slip away, if we are lax in our work. I am
reminded of a few inspirational lines:-
With these words, I once again wish all fellow citizens peace,
prosperity and progress on the occasion of our Republic Day.
JAI HIND. |
