The following is a condensed version of Indian President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Address to the Nation on the eve of India’s 57th Republic Day.
Dear Citizens,
On the eve of the 57th Republic Day of India, my greetings to all of you in the country and those living abroad. I convey my special greetings to the members of our armed forces and the paramilitary forces, who guard our frontiers on the land, the sea and the air and also the central and state level police including the other internal security forces.
I would like to share with you two critical needs of our nation. One is about the national mission and its progress. The second is to protect our progress and further sustain the earning capacity of individuals and people. For this, it is essential to increase the conditions of our life, which comes out of our long cherished civilizational heritage. This is the time we must launch and build up an intensive and extensive movement of cherishing our value systems in all walks of life. This is particularly important since the nation has to provide leadership to the 540 million ignited minds of the youth who are the most powerful resource for translating our vision of transforming India into a developed nation, well before 2020 in an integrated way.
Friends, I have visited all the states and union territories and have addressed the members of Parliament and a number of state assemblies. I have met and interacted with over one million youth. I have met many spiritual leaders. In addition, I have addressed a number of ministries, professional bodies, educational and scientific institutions, industries, health care organizations, judicial establishments, law-enforcement agencies, armed forces units, media, non-governmental organizations, artists, creative personalities, rural people and many others. I have also interacted with differently abled persons. In all my interactions with various constituents and specialists of the society, the prime focus of my communication was to present the linkages between the particular institution and the goal of national development. These have resulted in specific missions for the organizations and individuals converging toward Vision 2020. When I visited and interacted with different cross-sections of the people at a later time, I have found several of these missions are being translated into actions providing fruitful results.
For example, the interlinking of rivers has made a beginning in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu, the state is considering creation of waterways connecting Palar, Kaveri, Vaigai and Thamiraparani. I have seen and experienced the functioning of four operational PURAs (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) namely Periyar PURA at Vallam, Tamil Nadu, Loni PURA in Maharashtra, Chitrakoot PURA in Madhya Pradesh and Byrraju PURA in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh. Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF) has brought a new dimension in rural and tribal development, through empowering the rural people with know-how, technology and networks; for water conservation, dairy development, fruit orchard and animal husbandry. In addition, governments of Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh have taken up the PURA missions in their respective states and have completed the planning process.
At the 93rd Indian Science Congress, I suggested to the Ministry of Rural Development to allocate 500 crore Indian rupees for initiation of 100 PURA clusters, each consisting of 20 to 30 villages across the country. Action is progressing. Leadership for these PURA clusters will be provided by the selected educational institutions located in the respective rural areas. Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Uttranchal have undertaken large-scale plantation of Jatropha in both government and private lands to produce bio-fuel. I have seen a solar power plant of 120kw capacity in Kaylapara village in Sagar Island at Sunderbans in West Bengal. This power plant along with a number of 20kw to 30kw plants is supplying six hours of electricity to 33 villages in the Sagar Island. This is going to be expanded to 150 villages very soon. Bangalore Municipal Corporation is in the process of implementing an 8mw power plant using solid municipal waste through BOOT (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) scheme. The power plant is similar to what we have in Hyderabad and Vijayawada.
India’s first virtual university has been created by the three 150-year-old universities namely Madras, Bombay and Calcutta. I have delivered the inaugural address for this virtual university and interacted with 15,000 students spread across the country through EDUSAT using virtual tele-education delivery system. A virtual university by definition is meant to cut across the geographical and administrative boundaries and provide the best of education. It is our responsibility to make it happen in the new environment.
I have seen the accelerated learning program using computers in Karnataka government schools in association with Azim Premji Foundation to reduce the dropouts. Akshaya Computer Literacy Program of Kerala has made at least one member in each family a computer literate in whole of Malappuram district of the state. Also, I saw a high-profile scientist after his retirement from Light Combat Aircraft Program has taken up the mission of removing the illiteracy in his native village Bour in Darbhanga district of Bihar. Jamsetji Tata Virtual Academy has started the creation of Village Knowledge Centers using the selected fellows of virtual academy in association with M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.
I interacted with a number of village knowledge centers established in different parts of the country from Coimbatore and Hyderabad through EDUSAT connectivity and discussed the problem faced by the farmers, fisher folk and crafts personnel. At Peda Amiram near Bhimavaram, I have visited an International Cancer Center with all modern facilities for treatment of cancer patients. At Parumala in Kerala, the International Center for Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Diseases is providing specialized treatment to heart patients in rural areas.
I also met 1,000 physically challenged children wearing the lightweight calipers at Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh and most importantly the first and the 10,000th child benefited from defense technology spin off. All these results indicate that the development has started reaching certain parts of our rural areas. What does it all symbolize? The 5,000 years old civilization is awakening to new technology and toward development. I can see that developed India is on the rise. In order to strengthen this process, scientists, technologists and health care specialists have a special role to play.
For the scientists and technologists of the nation, I have five immediate national missions: Increasing the Solar Photo Voltaic Cell efficiency from 14 to 45 percent using nano technology; research in proteomics to identify the disease causing mechanism and to develop new methods to treat diseases; earthquake forecasting using multiple parameter precursors such as pre-shock conditions and electromagnetic phenomena, prior to the final rupture; building a validated mathematical model for predicting the quantum of rain for a particular cloud conditions in a particular region in a prescribed time using the new type of Polarimetric radar; and developing the products in the health care, electronics and materials to meet the national requirements using the convergence of nano, bio and info technologies.
The government has already launched the Bharat Nirman Program with an outlay of 174,000 crore rupees for providing rural infrastructure within the next four years. This will facilitate the rural program like PURA to progress faster in an integrated way.
These actions from multiple agencies spread across the country gives me confidence that we are well on our way on the path of development and transforming India into a developed nation before 2020. Every awakening and change, bring with them certain responsibilities and a code of conduct. Therefore, we need to promote ethical values in all walks of life, which will enable creation of synergy between establishments for realizing our dream of seeing the smiles on the billion faces.
Infallibility is divinity. We are not divine. We are fallible. To err is human. Divinity would demand that we realize this irrefutable truth and correct ourselves when we become fallible. The spirit of life and thirst for success and rectitude should propel ourselves to correct our mistakes on our way instead of ruing over mistakes and slips that have been committed even inadvertently.
The need of the hour is disciplined action by all citizens. This will lead to the creation of enlightened citizens. Any country is as good as its citizens. Their ethos, their values and their character will be reflected in the country’s make-up. They are crucial factors that will determine whether the country will move forward on a progressive path or stagnate.
Hence, there is a need to cultivate a sense of eternal values in each of its citizens, instill in him or her a sense of discipline. The education system right from the primary level has to concentrate on this aspect. For inculcating discipline among citizens, I visualize the necessity for providing compulsory NCC training for a minimum period of 18 months to all our youth either during the senior secondary stage and or during graduation in all educational institutions, both government and private. This will ensure disciplined politics, business, judiciary, bureaucracy, scientific pursuits and sports and games.
All of us have to practice the values of honesty, sincerity and tolerance in our day-to-day living. This will elevate our politics to statesmanship. We have to collectively inculcate a positive attitude of what we can do for our country so that we together will be able to benefit ourselves. We have immensely benefited from what our ancestors did and left for us. We have a right and responsibility to leave a positive legacy to the posterity for which we all will be remembered. The land, water and sky of this nation are witnesses.
Our righteous toil is our guiding light,
If we work hard, we all can prosper.
Nurture great thoughts, rise up in actions,
May righteous methods be our guide;
May the nation prosper ever with Almighty’s grace.
Allow me again, my dear citizens, to wish you a very purposeful and happy Republic Day.
May God bless you.
Jai Hind!
