New India, compassionate society, says President Ram Nath Kovind
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind addresses the Nation on the eve of 71st Independence Day, in New Delhi on Monday. PTI Photo New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind addresses the Nation on the eve of 71st Independence Day, in New Delhi on Monday. PTI Photo
Underlining the role of “partnership between citizen and government” in nation-building, President Ram Nath Kovind Monday called for “a compassionate and egalitarian society that does not discriminate on gender or religious background” in a “New India” which “must include that integral humanist component that is in our DNA”.
In his first address to the nation on the eve of its 71st Independence Day, the President recalled the role of “countless freedom fighters who made great sacrifices… men and women who represented all parts of our country and a variety of political and social thought”.
He named, among others, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, B R Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan and Birsa Munda.
“The stress on the moral basis of policy and action, belief in unity and discipline, faith in a synthesis of heritage and science, and promotion of the rule of law and of education — all of it was located in a partnership between citizen and government. That is how our nation has been built — by a partnership between citizen and government, between individual and society, between a family and the wider community,” Kovind said.
“In the year 2022, our country will complete 75 years of Independence. It is our national resolve to attain certain desired milestones for a New India by then. When we speak of a New India, what do we mean? There are some obvious parameters — like a house for every family, power on demand, better roads and telecom, a modern railway network, rapid and sustained growth.”
Read | President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to the nation: Full text of the speech
“And yet there is more. New India must include that integral humanist component that is in our DNA, and which has defined our country and our civilisation. New India must be a society rushing towards the future, but also a compassionate society.”
He then detailed what New India should be:
“A compassionate society where the traditionally disadvantaged, whether SCs, STs or OBCs, are part of our national developmental process; where populations in our frontier areas and states, who may sometimes feel a sense of alienation, are embraced as our brothers and sisters; where the deprived child, the aged and the ailing senior citizen, and the poor and the underprivileged are always in our thought — not an afterthought; an egalitarian society that does not discriminate on gender or religious background.”
Read | President Ram Nath Kovind: India must be compassionate and egalitarian society
The President praised the people for their “immense patience and understanding in the days following demonetisation” and “whole-hearted support in the battle against corruption and black money”, saying it “reflected a responsible and enlightened society”.
Demonetisation, he said, had “boosted our efforts to build an honest society” and “we must sustain this spirit and this momentum”.
Stating that the “spirit of empathy and of social service and volunteerism” was “very much alive in India”, he said “there are so many people and organisations” who “work quietly and diligently for the poor and the disadvantaged”.
“A tradition I remember from my childhood was that when there was a wedding in any one family, the entire village shared the responsibility and contributed. Regardless of the caste or community, the bride became the daughter of not just a single family but of the entire village… Today, in big cities we may not even know our neighbours. Whether in cities or villages, it is important to renew that sense of caring and sharing.”
He urged people to ensure that benefits of government policies reach all sections of society. For this, he said, the partnership between citizens and government remains essential. He listed the flagship programmes of the ruling government and that in each case it was up to the citizens to ensure its implementation. For example, referring to Swachh Bharat, he said: “The government is building toilets or helping build toilets — but it is for each of us to use those toilets and make India open-defecation free.”
“The government is promoting the idea of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao — but it is for each of us to ensure that our daughters are not discriminated against and get the best education,” he said. “The government is implementing GST to eliminate multiple taxes and simplify transactions — but it is for each of us to make this an essential part of our everyday transactions and business culture.”
“On an appeal from the Prime Minister, more than one crore families voluntarily gave up their LPG fuel subsidy, so that a gas cylinder could reach the kitchen of a poorer family of fellow Indians. And so that members of that family, particularly women, were saved from smoke from chulhas that damaged their eyes and lungs. I salute those families that gave up their subsidy. No law or government order made them do what they did. Their response came from within,” he said.
Underlining the need to “equip our coming generation”, the President called it “the single most critical factor for building our nation”. He urged people to “help educate less-privileged children in our society. Help teach a child other than your own. Enrol and pay the school fees or buy the books of at least one child other than your own.”
Calling for adoption of technology, he said: “We must use technology to empower our people and achieve the goal of poverty elimination in a single generation. Poverty and New India are simply not compatible.”
Kovind urged “government agencies, sports bodies and business enterprises” to “join hands to identify and support our talented sportspersons and provide them world-class training facilities — so that they can be even more successful” at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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