Addressing the nation on the eve of 76th Independence Day, President Droupadi Murmu, on August 14, 2022, greeted all Indians and said August 15, 2022 marks the day when the people had freed themselves from the shackles of colonial rulers and decided to reshape the country’s 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,” the President said and added that August 14 is observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ so as to promote social harmony, unity and empowerment of people.
Ms. Murmu said the 76th Independence Day is a cause of celebration not only for all Indians but also for every advocate of democracy around the world. She said India proved the sceptics who believed about the success of democratic form of government in the country wrong.
“India, after so many years of exploitation at the hands of foreign rulers, was marked by poverty and illiteracy. But we Indians proved the sceptics wrong. Democracy not only grew roots in this soil, it was enriched too,” she said citing the example of universal adult franchise right for every adults since the beginning of the Republic. She said at the beginning of civilisation, saints and seers of this land had developed a vision of humanity that was defined by equality of all; indeed, oneness of all.
She said the celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav are dedicated to the people of India. “The Indian tricolours are 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 in the speech.
She said for a country like India, the passage of 75 years is merely a blink of an eye. “But for us as individuals, it is a lifetime. Senior citizens among us have witnessed a dramatic change in their lifetime. They have seen how, after Independence, all the generations have toiled hard; how we met great challenges and how we have taken charge of our destiny.
Text of President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the nation
The lessons learnt in the process will prove useful as we move towards the next milestone in the journey of the nation – the Amrit Kaal, the 25 years to the celebration of the centenary of our Independence,” the President said and added that 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,” she said.
Ms. Murmu said the COVID 19 pandemic has 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,” she added.
She credited the government and 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,” she said adding that the growth is becoming more inclusive and regional disparities too are reducing.
Ms. Murmu said economic success is leading to an ease in living too. “The keyword for India today is compassion; for the downtrodden, for the needy and for those on the margins,” she said. Ms. Murmu said when works are 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. Quoting Kannada poet Kuvempu, she said she urged the youth to make total sacrifice for the motherland and upliftment of fellow citizens.
