R-Day eve address: India moving ahead with confidence, says President

Ram temple a testament to people's trust in judiciary, says President Murmu in address on the eve of Republic Day

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was a testament to the people’s enormous trust in the country’s judicial process.

In her address to the nation on the eve of the 75th Republic Day, the President exuded confidence at India’s continued economic growth — which she said had helped roll out the government’s welfare schemes — and hoped India would be among countries where homelessness was a “rarity”.

Murmu asked citizens to abide by fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution, which were “essential obligations of every citizen towards making Bharat a developed nation when it completes 100 years of independence”. She said technological advances like artificial intelligence and machine learning could be areas of concern in the foreseeable future, but there are also exciting opportunities ahead, especially for the youth.

She said India’s democratic system was much older than the concept of western democracy, which is why India is called the “mother of democracy”. Murmu said the New Education Policy could bridge the digital divide and create a uniform educational structure for the benefit of underprivileged students.

On India’s economic growth, the President said India was “moving ahead with confidence”, with its gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate remaining the highest among major economies in recent years. She said there were “all reasons to believe that this extraordinary performance will continue in the year 2024 and beyond”.

The President said economic growth had also given a push to the welfare drive to make the development inclusive in every sense of the term, as she lauded the government for providing free food grains to over 81 crore people for five years as probably “the biggest welfare initiative of its kind in history”.

Murmu said welfare measures, such as the availability of safe and adequate drinking water at home and the security of having one’s own home, were basic minimum requirements, not privileges. “These matters are beyond any political or economic ideology and must be seen from a humanitarian perspective. The government has not only expanded and enhanced the welfare schemes, but it has also redefined the idea of welfare itself,” the President said, noting the expanding insurance cover of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

On the Ram temple in Ayodhya, she said, “The construction of the temple commenced after the due judicial process and the decision of the highest court of the land. Now it stands as a grand edifice, giving a befitting expression not only of people’s faith but also as a testament to people’s enormous trust in the judicial process.”

Calling former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna, a tireless champion of social justice, she said he was one of the greatest advocates of backward classes who dedicated his life to their welfare. The President spoke of India’s quest in space and the importance of Parliament passing the historic Women’s Reservation Bill.

Referring to the conflicts in several parts of the world, the President said it was unfortunate that instead of reason, fears and prejudices have fuelled passions, leading to relentless violence.