New Delhi
Paying tributes to stalwarts who played a key role in India’s independence movement, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said it is humbling to realise that we are part of a chain that binds the dreams of those who participated in the freedom struggle and the aspirations of those who will witness the nation regaining its full glory in the years to come.
“It makes us recall the days when the nation was under a foreign rule. Patriotic and brave souls took immense risks and made supreme sacrifices. We salute their memory. Thanks to their unceasing labour, the soul of India awoke from centuries of torpor. Different traditions and values that had continued to live on beneath the surface found new expressions in several generations of great leaders,” the President said in her address to the nation on the eve of 78th Independence Day.
“Unifying the diversity of traditions and their expressions was Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation and our lodestar. Alongside, there were great leaders like Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Babasaheb Ambedkar as well as Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and many others. It was a nationwide movement, in which all communities participated.
“Among tribals, there were Tilka Manjhi, Birsa Munda, Laxman Naik and Phulo- Jhano, among many more whose sacrifices are now being appreciated. We have started celebrating the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. Celebrations of his 150th birth anniversary next year will be an opportunity to further honour his contribution to the national re-awakening,” President Murmu outlined.
Speaking about the Centre’s plan of action, she said social justice is a top priority of the Government, and it has taken a number of unprecedented initiatives for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other marginalised sections of society.
“Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan, that is, PM-SURAJ, for example, aims to provide direct financial assistance to the people from the marginalised communities. The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan or PM-JANMAN has taken the form of a mass campaign for critical interventions to improve socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, that is, PVTGs. The National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem or the NAMASTE scheme will ensure that no sanitation workers will have to manually engage in the hazardous task of sewer and septic tank cleaning,” she maintained.
I am delighted to see the nation prepare to celebrate the 78th Independence Day, she said adding witnessing the tri-colour unfurl on this occasion, be it at the Red Fort, at state capitals or in local neighbourhoods, always thrills our hearts.
“It is an expression of the joy of being part of our great nation along with more than 1.4 billion fellow Indians. Just as we celebrate various festivals with our families, we celebrate our Independence Day and Republic Day with our family that comprises our fellow citizens.”
Today, on 14th August, the nation is observing Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas, a day to recall partition horrors, she said. “As the great nation was divided, millions had to suffer forced migration, lakhs of people lost their lives. A day before we celebrate Independence Day, we recall that unparalleled human tragedy and stand with the families that were torn asunder.”
While she congratulated the Election Commission for the smooth conduct of Lok Sabha polls wherein the number of eligible voters stood at nearly 97 crore, she cited India’s 8 percent annual growth rate from 2021-24. She lauded the farmers for ensuring that agricultural production continued to beat expectations and pointed to the boost to Infrastructure development in recent years.
“We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well,” she quoted Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and called for rejection of tendencies that stoke discord based upon perceived social hierarchies.
While she said she was glad to note that the Government has given equal importance to women’s welfare and women’s empowerment, she also touched upon climate change saying, “I also urge you all to make small but effective changes in your lifestyle and contribute to the cause of dealing with the challenge of climate change”.
She spoke about Government initiatives to facilitate skilling, employment and other opportunities for the youth and praised India’s Olympics contingent of doing their best. “In cricket, India won the T-20 World Cup, to the great joy of a large number of fans. In chess, our prodigies have made the country proud. This is said to be the beginning of an Indian era in chess. In badminton, tennis and other sports, our youngsters are making a mark on the world stage. Their achievements have inspired the next generation too,” she said.
