India helped world discover true potential of democracy: President Murmu

India

pti-PTI

New
Delhi,
Aug
14:
India
has
helped
the
world
discover
the
true
potential
of
democracy
and
the
keyword
for
the
country
today
is
compassion
for
the
downtrodden,
needy
and
those
on
the
margins,
President
Draupadi
Murmu
said
on
Sunday.

In
her
maiden
address
to
the
nation
on
the
eve
of
the
76th
Independence
Day,
Murmu
said
major
economic
reforms
are
being
accompanied
by
innovative
welfare
initiatives
and
the
world
has
seen
“a
new
India
rising
in
recent
years,
more
so
after
the
outbreak
of
Covid-19”.

The
president
said
when
India
won
independence,
there
were
many
international
leaders
and
experts
who
were
sceptical
about
the
success
of
the
democratic
form
of
government
in
India
due
to
poverty
and
illiteracy
at
that
time.

“But
we
Indians
proved
the
sceptics
wrong.
Democracy
not
only
grew
roots
in
this
soil,
it
was
enriched
too,”
she
said
as
she
asked
citizens
to
pledge
to
give
everything
for
the
sake
of
the
safety,
security,
progress
and
prosperity
of
the
country.

The
president,
in
her
17-minute
address,
also
complimented
the
policymakers
for
ensuring
the
growth
of
the
country
that
has
become
more
inclusive
with
reduced
regional
disparities.

“Our
response
to
the
pandemic
has
been
appreciated
everywhere.
We
launched
the
biggest
vaccination
drive
in
human
history
with
vaccines
manufactured
in
the
country
itself.
Last
month
we
crossed
the
200-crore
mark
in
cumulative
vaccine
coverage,”
said
Murmu
who
took
over
the
presidency
last
month.

She
said
in
combating
the
pandemic,
India’s
achievements
have
been
better
than
those
of
many
developed
countries.
“For
this
feat,
we
are
grateful
to
our
scientists,
doctors,
nurses,
paramedics
and
the
staff
associated
with
vaccination,”
she
said.

The
president
said
the
pandemic
uprooted
lives
and
also
economies
in
the
entire
world.
“When
the
world
has
been
battling
the
economic
consequences
of
the
great
crisis,
India
got
its
act
together
and
is
now
moving
forward.
India
is
among
the
fastest
growing
major
economies
in
the
world
whose
start-up
ecosystem
ranks
high
in
the
world.”

The
president
said
“our
existence
will
become
meaningful
only
in
building
a
glorious
India”
and
quoted
a
poem
of
poet
Kuvempu
‘I
will
pass,
So
will
you,
But
on
our
bones
will
arise
the
great
tale
of
a
new
India’.

She
said
this
is
a
clarion
call
of
the
nationalist
poet
for
making
a
complete
sacrifice
for
the
motherland
and
the
uplift
of
fellow
citizens.

“To
follow
these
ideals
is
my
special
appeal
to
the
youth
of
the
country
who
are
going
to
build
the
India
of
2047,”
she
said.

In
most
other
well-established
democracies,
women
had
to
wage
long-drawn
struggles
to
get
the
right
to
vote.
But
India
adopted
universal
adult
franchise
rights
since
the
beginning
of
the
Republic,
she
said.

Thus,
the
makers
of
modern
India
enabled
each
and
every
adult
citizen
to
participate
in
the
collective
process
of
nation-building,
she
said
adding
India
can
be
credited
for
helping
the
world
discover
the
true
potential
of
democracy.

She
said
the
success
of
start-ups,
especially
the
growing
number
of
unicorns
is
a
shining
example
of
industrial
progress
and
credited
the
Narendra
Modi
government
and
its
policy-makers
for
beating
the
global
trend
and
helping
the
economy
flourish.

“During
the
last
few
years,
unprecedented
progress
has
been
made
in
the
development
of
physical
and
digital
infrastructure….For
the
vibrancy
of
growth
visible
in
our
country,
credit
must
also
be
given
to
workers
and
farmers
whose
hard
work
has
made
it
possible
and
entrepreneurs
whose
business
acumen
has
created
wealth.

“What
is
all
the
more
heartening
is
that
the
growth
is
becoming
more
inclusive
and
regional
disparities
too
are
reducing.

“But
this
is
only
the
beginning.
A
series
of
economic
reforms
and
policy
initiatives
have
been
preparing
the
ground
for
a
long
term…the
‘National
Education
Policy’ is
aimed
at
preparing
the
future
generation
for
the
next
stage
of
industrial
revolution
while
also
reconnecting
it
with
our
heritage.”
She
said
the
economic
success
is
leading
to
an
ease
in
living
too
as
the
reforms
are
rightly
accompanied
by
innovative
welfare
initiatives.

“A
home
of
one’s
own
is
no
longer
a
dream
for
the
poor,
but
a
reality
for
more
and
more
people,
thanks
to
the
‘Pradhan
Mantri
Awas
Yojana’.
Similarly,
under
the
‘Jal
Jeevan
Mission’,
tap
water
connection
has
been
provided
to
every
household
since
the
launch
of
the
‘Har
Ghar
Jal’
scheme,” she
said.

She
said
the
aim
of
these
as
well
as
other
similar
efforts
is
to
provide
basic
amenities
to
all,
particularly
the
poor.

“The
keyword
for
India
today
is
compassion;
for
the
downtrodden,
for
the
needy
and
for
those
on
the
margins.
Some
of
our
national
values
have
been
incorporated
in
our
Constitution
as
the
Fundamental
Duties
of
the
citizens.

“I
appeal
to
every
citizen
to
know
about
their
Fundamental
Duties
and
follow
them
in
letter
and
spirit
so
that
our
nation
reaches
new
heights,”
she
said.

She
said
at
the
core
of
the
transformation,
the
country
has
been
witnessing
in
healthcare,
education,
economy
as
well
as
a
number
of
related
areas
is
the
stress
on
good
governance.

“When
work
is
done
with
the
spirit
of
‘Nation
First’,
it
is
bound
to
reflect
in
every
decision
and
every
sector.
This
is
also
reflected
in
India’s
standing
in
the
world,
she
said.

She
said
India’s
newfound
confidence
stems
from
the
spirit
of
its
youth,
its
farmers,
and
above
all,
its
women.

“Gender
inequalities
are
reducing
and
women
are
moving
ahead,
breaking
many
glass
ceilings.
Their
increasing
participation
in
social
and
political
processes
will
prove
decisive,” she
said,
adding
that
at
the
grassroots
level,
there
were
more
than
14
lakh
elected
women
representatives
in
Panchayati
Raj
Institutions.

“Our
daughters
are
the
biggest
hope
for
the
nation,”
she
said
and
referred
to
the
recently
held
Commonwealth
Games
in
which
sports
persons
especially
women
have
been
making
the
country
proud
with
their
performance
in
international
competitions.

“A
large
number
of
our
winners
come
from
underprivileged
segments
of
society.
From
becoming
fighter
pilots
to
space
scientists,
our
daughters
are
scaling
great
heights,”
she
said.

She
said
in
celebrating
Independence
Day,
“we
are
celebrating
our
‘Bharatiyata’.
Our
country
is
full
of
diversity.
But,
at
the
same
time,
we
all
have
something
in
common.
It
is
this
common
thread
which
binds
all
of
us
together
and
inspires
us
to
walk
together
with
the
spirit
of
Ek
Bharat,
Shreshtha
Bharat.”

She
also
spoke
about
the
environment
and
said
when
the
world
is
facing
new
challenges,
India
must
remain
determined
to
preserve
its
flora
and
fauna.

“With
our
traditional
lifestyle,
we
Indians
can
show
the
way
to
the
rest
of
the
world.
Yoga
and
Ayurveda
are
India’s
invaluable
gifts
to
the
world.
Their
popularity
is
on
the
rise
all
over
the
globe,” she
said.

The
president
said
for
75
weeks
now,
the
nation
has
been
commemorating
the
noble
ideals
that
won
the
country
freedom.

“In
March
2021,
we
began
the
‘Azadi
ka
Amrit
Mahotsav’
with
the
re-enactment
of
the
Dandi
March.
This
way,
our
celebrations
began
with
a
tribute
to
that
watershed
event
that
had
put
our
struggle
on
the
world
map.
This
festival
is
dedicated
to
the
people
of
India”.

She
said
citizens
from
all
age
groups
have
keenly
participated
in
a
series
of
events
held
across
the
country
including
the
‘Har
Ghar
Tiranga
Abhiyan’.

“The
Indian
tricolour
is
fluttering
in
every
nook
and
corner
of
the
country.
Great
martyrs
would
have
been
thrilled
to
see
the
spirit
of
the
Independence
Movement
coming
alive
again
on
such
a
massive
scale,” she
said.

She
complimented
the
government
for
its
decision
last
year
to
observe
November
15
as
‘Janajatiya
Gaurav
Divas’
in
which
“our
tribal
heroes
are
not
merely
local
or
regional
icons
but
they
inspire
the
entire
nation”.

She
said
by
the
year
2047,
“we
will
have
fully
realised
the
dreams
of
our
freedom
fighters.
We
will
have
given
a
concrete
shape
to
the
vision
of
those
who,
led
by
Babasaheb
Bhimrao
Ambedkar,
drafted
the
Constitution.
We
are
already
on
course
to
build
an
Atmanirbhar
Bharat,
an
India
that
would
have
realised
its
true
potential.”
Murmu
said
August
14
is
observed
as
‘Partition
Horrors
Remembrance
Day’
to
promote
social
harmony,
unity
and
empowerment
of
people.

“Tomorrow
marks
the
day
when
we
had
freed
ourselves
from
the
shackles
of
colonial
rulers
and
decided
to
reshape
our
destiny.

“As
all
of
us
celebrate
the
anniversary
of
that
day,
we
bow
to
all
those
men
and
women
who
made
enormous
sacrifices
to
make
it
possible
for
us
to
live
in
a
free
India,”
she
said,
adding
it
is
a
cause
of
celebration
not
only
for
all
of
us
but
also
for
every
advocate
of
democracy
around
the
world.