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President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday (August 14) delivered the ceremonial address on the eve of Independence Day. From the virtues of Indian democracy to the nation overcoming challenges of terrorism this year with decisive response like Operation Sindoor, she touched on various crucial topics.

Here is the full text of President Murmu’s speech:

“My Dear Fellow Citizens,

I extend my heartiest greetings to all of you on the eve of Independence Day. It is a matter of pride for all of us that Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated by every Indian with zeal and enthusiasm. These are the days that especially remind us of our being proud Indians.

The fifteenth of August is a date etched in our collective memory. During the long years of colonial rule, generations of Indians dreamt of the day of independence. Men and women, old and young, from all parts of the country, yearned to throw away the yoke of foreign rule. Their struggle was marked by robust optimism, which has continued to propel our progress since Independence too. As we salute the tricolour tomorrow, we will also be paying homage to the memory of all freedom fighters whose sacrifices won India Independence on the 15th of August, 78 years ago.

After regaining our freedom, we also became a democracy with universal adult franchise. In other words, we the people of India put the power to shape our destiny in the hands of each of us, without any restrictions of gender, religion and other factors that had barred many people from voting in other democracies. In spite of many challenges, the people of India made a successful transition to democracy. The transition was a natural reflection of our ancient democratic ethos. India had the oldest republics in the world. It is rightly acknowledged as the mother of democracy. When we adopted the Constitution, it provided the edifice of democracy. We built democratic institutions that strengthened the practice of democracy. We prize our Constitution and our democracy above everything else.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

Our Constitution contains four values as the four pillars upholding our democracy. They are – justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. These are our civilisational principles that we re-discovered during the Freedom Struggle. At the heart of them all, I believe, is the notion of human dignity. Every human being is equal, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity. Everyone should have equal access to healthcare and education. Everyone should have equal opportunity. Those who had been traditionally at a disadvantage needed to be given a helping hand.

Keeping these principles foremost in mind, we started a new journey in 1947. After the long years of foreign rule, India was in utter poverty at the time of Independence. But in the 78 years since then, we have made extraordinary progress in all fields. India is well on the way to becoming a self-reliant nation and is moving ahead with great confidence.

In the economic field, our achievements are all the more noticeable. With a GDP growth rate of 6.5 percent in the last fiscal, India is the fastest growing among the major economies in the world. Even amid stress in the global economy, demand at home is pacing ahead. Inflation has remained under control. Exports are rising. All key indicators show the economy in the pink of health. This is as much due to carefully calibrated reforms and sagacious economic management as due to the hard work and dedication of our workers and farmers.

A large number of people have been pulled out of poverty through good governance. The government has been running a series of welfare initiatives for the poor and also for those who have risen above the poverty line but are still vulnerable, so that they do not fall below it again. This is reflected in the rising expenditure on social services. Income inequality is reducing. Regional disparities are also disappearing. The States and regions, earlier known for weaker economic performance, are now showing their true potential and catching up with the front-runners.

Our business leaders, small and medium industries and traders have always exhibited a can-do spirit; what was needed was removing the bottlenecks in the path of wealth creation. That is so visible when it comes to infrastructure development over the past decade. We have expanded and strengthened the National Highway network under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. The Railways too have innovated, introducing new types of trains and coaches equipped with latest technologies. The inauguration of the rail link in Kashmir valley is a major accomplishment. Rail connectivity with the valley will boost trade and tourism in the region and open new economic possibilities. This engineering marvel at Kashmir is a historic milestone for our country.

The country is rapidly urbanizing. Hence, the Government has been paying special attention to improve the conditions of the cities. Addressing the key area of urban transport, the Government has expanded metro rail facilities. The number of cities with a metro rail service has gone up multifold in a decade. The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, or AMRUT, has ensured more and more households have access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.

The Government considers the basic amenities of life as rightful claims of the citizens. The Jal Jeevan Mission is making progress in providing tap water supply to rural households.

In the healthcare sector, we have been witnessing a paradigm shift with a variety of initiatives under Ayushman Bharat, the largest healthcare scheme of its kind in the world. This scheme has already provided cover to more than 55 crore people. The government extended this benefit to all senior citizens of the age of 70 years and above, regardless of their income. As inequalities in access are removed, the poor and the lower middle-class also benefit from the best possible health-care facilities.

In this Digital Age, it is apt that one sector in India that has seen the most dramatic advances is information technology. Nearly all villages have 4G mobile connectivity, and the remaining few thousands will be covered soon. This has made possible large-scale adoption of digital payment technologies, in which India has become a world leader in a short span. It has also supported Direct Benefit Transfer, which ensures that welfare benefits reach the intended beneficiaries without glitch and leakage. More than half of the total number of digital transactions in the world take place in India. These developments have created a vibrant digital economy whose contribution to the country’s GDP is increasing year on year.

Artificial intelligence is the next stage of technological advancement and has already entered our lives. The government has launched the India-AI mission to strengthen the country’s AI capabilities. It is also helping to build AI models that answer to India’s specific requirements. As we aspire to become a global-AI-hub by 2047, our focus will remain on making the best use of the advances in technology for the common people, to improve their lives by improving governance.

For betterment of the lives of the common people there is equal emphasis on improving the ease of doing business as well as on improving the ease of living. Development serves the purpose only when it helps those on the margins and opens new opportunities for them. Moreover, we are increasing our self-reliance in every area possible. This has added to our self-confidence and increased the momentum of our journey towards becoming Viksit Bharat.

Last week, on August 7, the country celebrated ‘National Handloom Day’ which honours our weavers and their products. Since the year 2015, we have been celebrating this day to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement launched during our freedom struggle in the year 1905. The spirit of Swadeshi was strengthened by Mahatma Gandhi to promote the products made by the sweat and toil of Indian artisans and crafts-persons, and by their incomparable skills. The idea of Swadeshi has been inspiring our national endeavours like Make-in-India initiative and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Let us resolve to buy and use Indian products.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

The all-round economic growth complemented by social sector initiatives has placed India well on the path of becoming a developed economy by 2047. With the nation marching ahead during the Amrit Kaal, I see all of us contributing to the best of our ability. I believe, there are three sections of society that will lead us on this path – youth, women and the communities that had for long remained on the margins.

Our youth have finally found the right environment for the realisation of their dreams. The National Education Policy has brought in far-reaching changes, aligning learning with values, and skills with tradition. Employment opportunities are booming. For those with entrepreneurial aspirations, the Government has created the most conducive ecosystem. Fueled by young minds, our space program has witnessed unprecedented expansion. I am sure that Shubhanshu Shukla’s space journey to the International Space Station has fired a whole generation to dream bigger. It will prove extremely helpful for India’s upcoming human space flight program, ‘Gaganyaan’. Brimming with a new confidence, our youth are making a mark in sports and games. Chess, for example, is now dominated by India’s youngsters like never before. We foresee transformative changes which will establish India as a global sporting power-house under the vision contained in the National Sports Policy 2025.

Our daughters are our pride. They are breaching barriers in every field, including in the areas of defence and security. Sports are among important indicators of excellence, empowerment and potential. A nineteen-year-old girl and a thirty-eight-year-old woman from India were the finalists in the FIDE Women’s World Cup for chess championship. This underlines the sustained and globally comparable excellence across generations among our women. The gender gap in employment has also been reducing. With ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, the empowerment of women is no longer a slogan but a reality.

People belonging to a major segment of our society comprising Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and other communities are shedding the tag of the marginalised. The Government has been actively helping them to realise their social and economic aspirations with several initiatives.

India is moving ahead at a faster pace towards realizing its true potential. As our reforms and policies have created an effective platform, I can see a bright future ahead in which every one of us will be energetically contributing to the prosperity and happiness of all of us.

We are moving ahead towards that future with sustained good governance, and zero tolerance for corruption. Here I am reminded of an important statement by Mahatma Gandhi. He had noted, and I quote:

“Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy.”

Let us pledge to realise Gandhiji’s ideal and weed out corruption.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

This year we had to face the scourge of terrorism. Killing innocent citizens on holiday in Kashmir was cowardly and utterly inhuman. India responded in a decisive manner and with steely resolve. Operation Sindoor showed that our armed forces are prepared to meet any eventuality when it comes to guarding the nation. With strategic clarity and technical capability, they destroyed terrorist hubs across the border. I believe, Operation Sindoor will go down in history as an example in humanity’s fight against terrorism.

In our response, what was most noticeable was our unity, which is also the most befitting response to those who wanted to divide us. Our unity was on display also in the multi-party delegations of the Members of Parliament that reached out to various nations to explain India’s position. The world has taken note of India’s stance, that we will not be the aggressor, but we will not hesitate to retaliate in defence of our citizens.

Operation Sindoor was also a test case of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission in the defence sector. The outcome has proved that we are on the right path. Our indigenous manufacturing has achieved the critical level that makes us self-sufficient in meeting many of our security requirements. These are landmark achievements in India’s defence history since Independence.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

I would like to take this opportunity to urge all of you to do what you can, to protect the environment. To respond to the challenge of climate change, we must also change. We must change our habits and our world-view. We must change our relationship with our land, rivers, mountains, and with flora and fauna. With contribution from all of us, we will leave behind a planet in which life will be flourishing in natural order.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

I have in mind especially the soldiers guarding our borders, and the police as well as Central Armed Police Forces. I extend my greetings to the members of the judiciary and the civil services. My Independence Day greetings to the Indian officials in the missions abroad and also to the Indian diaspora!

I once again extend my greetings for Independence Day.”

President Droupadi Murmu addresses the nation on the eve of India’s 79th Independence Day. Photo Credit: President of India Youtube