Citizens must continually cleanse themselves of retrograde habits, social ills: Mukherjee

Extending warm greetings to citizens both in India and abroad and special greetings to members of the security forces on the eve of the nation's 66th Republic Day, President Pranab Mukherjee said Sunday that the future will remain both visible and elusive if Indians do not discover the ability to continually cleanse themselves of retrograde habits and social ills.

Delivering his third eve of Republic Day address to the nation, Mukherjee, re-emphasizing on the importance of pursuing the NDA Government's "Swachh Bharat" (Clean India) campaign, said the year 2015 is being celebrated as the centenary of Mohandas Karamchanf Gandhi's return to India from South Africa.

"We can never cease to learn from a Mahatma. The first thing he did in 1915 was to keep his eyes open and his lips sealed. It is advisable to follow his example. While we are, rightly, focused on 1915, perhaps we should cast a glance on what Gandhiji did in 1901, the year when he returned home for his first break. The annual Congress session was held that year in Calcutta, then the capital of British India. Gandhiji was a delegate. He went to Ripon College for a meeting. He discovered that the whole place had been dirtied by fellow-delegates. A shocked Gandhiji did not wait for any allotted cleaner. He picked up a broom and cleaned the area. No one followed his example in 1901. 114 years later, let us follow his example, and become worthy children of a magnificent father," he said.

The President said that January 26 holds an everlasting place in national memory because it is the day when modern India was born.

Mahatma Gandhi, he said, had given a talisman for the country's rulers, which was simple and powerful.

"Whenever you are in doubt...recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself...will it lead to swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?".

The President said that it was the duty of leaders and common citizens to resolve to eliminate poverty through inclusive development.

Mukherjee said that the past year had been remarkable in many ways, particularly because, after three decades the people had voted to power a single party with a majority for a stable government, and in the process, freed the country's governance from the compulsions of coalition politics.

He said that the outcome of the elections had given the elected government a mandate to fulfill its commitment to the people by using its majority for formulating policies and making laws to implement those policies.

"The voter has played his or her part; it is now up to those who have been elected to honour this trust. It was a vote for clean, efficient, effective, gender-sensitive, transparent, accountable and citizen-friendly governance," the President said.