By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday addressed the Nation on eve of 76th Independence Day slated for Monday.
“My heartiest greetings in advance to all Indians living in the country and abroad on the eve of the 76th Independence Day. I am delighted to address you on this momentous occasion. India is completing 75 years as an independent nation. Fourteenth August is observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ so as 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,” Murmu said.
For 75 weeks now, the nation has been commemorating these noble ideals that won us 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 which had put our struggle on the world map. This festival is dedicated to the people of India. Based on the success achieved by the people, the resolve to build ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is also a part of this Mahotsav. Citizens from all age-groups have keenly participated in a series of events held across the country. This grand festival is going ahead with the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan’. 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.
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.
At the core of the transformation, we have 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.
India’s new-found 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. At the grassroots level, we have more than 14 lakh elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Our daughters are the biggest hope for the nation. Some of them brought laurels for the country at the recently held Commonwealth Games. Of course, India’s sportspersons have been making the country proud by 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 added.
