President Pratibha Patil Addresses the Nation on the Occasion of Republic Day

(January 26, 2012) The President of India, Pratibha Patil, addressed the nation on the eve of the country's 63rd Republic Day. Speaking to the nation's billion-plus citizens, the President stressed on the fact that there is tremendous work to be done to move forward on our social and economic agenda, if we are to achieve fast, inclusive and sustainable growth. Our foremost priority is the removal of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, disease and illiteracy. All social welfare programmes must be implemented efficiently. She said that we are living in a world that is complex and challenging. Forces of globalization have created an interlinked and interdependent world. No country exists in isolation; it is continuously being influenced by external developments. All nations, developed and developing, are facing the impact of global economic instability, as well as problems of unemployment and inflation, in varying degrees. President Patil emphasised that our vision and our goals are clear. We look at building our country, as one whose economy demonstrates a robustness to grow, so that we can become a developed nation. For us, however, economic prosperity alone is not enough. We look towards an India, where there is equity and justice. We look at democracy, rule of law and human values, as being essential for making our country strong, she said. At the same time we want a scientific and technological outlook in our people and we also look towards India as a country which will continue to bring moral force on to the global stage, she added. The President concluded saying that we must build a strong, prosperous nation, based upon a firm system of values. “As we remove poverty, let us also enrich our thoughts. As we remove disease, let us all remove ill-will towards others. As our youth study more and acquire more knowledge, let them also learn to be more involved in activities for the progress of the nation, other than only self advancement.”