Celebrating India’s 77th Republic Day

H.E. Smt. Droupadi Murmu

President of India

My dear fellow citizens,

Namaskar!

We, the people of India, at home and overseas, are going to celebrate Republic Day with fervour. I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on this National Festival.

The auspicious occasion of Republic Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the status and direction of our country in the past, present, and future. The force of our freedom movement changed the status of our country on 15th August, 1947. India became Independent. We became the architects of our own national destiny.

Since 26th January, 1950, we have been propelling our Republic towards our constitutional ideals. On that day, our Constitution was fully enforced. Bharat, the birthplace of democracy, was unshackled from the dominion system, and our democratic republic came into existence.

Our Constitution is the foundational document of the largest republic in world history. The ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution define our Republic. The framers of the Constitution provided a strong bedrock for the spirit of nationalism and the unity of the country through constitutional provisions.

Lauh Purush, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, unified our nation. Last year, on 31st October, a grateful nation enthusiastically celebrated his 150th birth anniversary. Commemorative events related to his 150th Jayanti are being celebrated. These celebrations strengthen the spirit of national unity and pride among the people. From north to south and from east to west, the fabric of our ancient cultural unity was woven by our ancestors. Every effort to promote this spirit of oneness is highly commendable.

Two days ago, on 23rd January, the nation paid its respectful tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary. Since 2021, Netaji’s Jayanti is celebrated as ‘Parakram Diwas’ so that the people, especially the youth, can draw inspiration from his indomitable patriotism. Netaji’s slogan ‘Jai Hind’ is the declaration of our national pride.

Dear fellow citizens,

Since ancient times, humanity has benefited from our civilization, culture, and spiritual traditions. Ayurveda, Yoga, and Pranayama have been appreciated and adopted by the global community. Many great personalities have continuously enriched the stream of our spiritual and social unity. It is a matter of pride that today’s India is moving forward with new self-confidence, conscious of its glorious traditions. In recent years, sacred sites related to our spiritual tradition have been re-connected with the peoples’ consciousness.

It has been resolved to eradicate the vestiges of colonial mindset in a timebound manner. The tradition of Indian knowledge has a great legacy in the fields of philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, literature, and art. It is a matter of pride that efforts like the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ are preserving and disseminating the creativity available in the Indian tradition. By giving emphasis to Indian languages and the tradition of Indian knowledge, we are providing a cultural foundation to our pursuit of self-reliance.

The Constitution of India is now available in all the Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule. Reading and understanding the Constitution in Indian languages will spread constitutional nationalism among the people and strengthen their sense of pride.

Efforts have been made to achieve national goals through public participation over the past decade. Important national campaigns have been transformed into mass movements. Local institutions in every village and city have been made instruments of ushering in progressive change. Building Viksit Bharat is the shared responsibility of all citizens.

Dear fellow citizens, Protection of the environment is a high priority today. I am proud that India has steered the global community in many areas related to the environment. A lifestyle in harmony with nature has been a part of India’s cultural tradition. This lifestyle is the basis of our message to the global community: ‘Lifestyle for Environment’, or ‘LiFE’.

In our tradition, we have been offering prayers for peace to prevail in the entire universe. The future of humanity can remain secure only if there is peace in the whole world. In an atmosphere marked by conflicts in many parts of the world, India is spreading the message of world peace.

Dear fellow citizens, I believe that Republic Day is an opportunity to further strengthen this strong feeling of patriotism. Let us all work together with the spirit of ‘Nation First’ and make our Republic even more glorious. Once again, I extend my hearty greetings to all of you on Republic Day. I firmly believe that your life will be filled with happiness, peace, security, and harmony. I wish you all a very bright future.