A united India can tackle any challenge: President Ram Nath Kovind

President Kovind's last Republic Day speech in this tenure, which ends later this year, was a tribute to those who battled Covid and also those who lost family to it

Avoiding references to any controversial issues like the farmers’ agitation, which dominated the Republic Day last year, President of India Ram Nath Kovind’s last Republic Day speech in this tenure, which ends later this year, was a tribute to those who battled Covid and also those who lost family to it. It was also a call to all Indians to return to their roots and patriotism, which he described as ‘Indian-ness’.

He said the economy would grow at ‘an impressive rate’ this fiscal year, without committing himself to any growth figures. He hailed the government’s commitment to reform while providing a ‘helping hand’ to those who needed it. There was a special word of praise for ‘young farmers’ who had embraced ‘natural farming’.

Neither China nor Pakistan merited a mention in the speech, though four out of five top gallantry awards conferred by the supreme commander of the armed forces, which were announced today, went to those who confronted and fought back insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir.

While Kovind hailed the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in providing jobs, and young entrepreneurs’ role in start-ups and digital payment platforms, he made no reference to controversies over cryptocurrency. The New Education Policy (NEP) was singled out for blending the traditional and the modern but he skirted NEET, over which many south Indian states are up in arms. The president said it was gratifying that India was now among the world’s top 50 innovative economies. “It is all the more satisfying to note that we have been able to promote merit while also stressing upon all-round inclusion.”

The president cited the Covid challenge to highlight how India came together as a nation. He said that in the first year itself, the health infrastructure edifice was beefed up and India was also able to help others. An indigenous vaccine was developed and could be supplied to other countries as well. He cited two examples of India’s commitment to grow as a nation: the imminent induction of the aircraft carrier Vikrant built by the Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard, that has led to India being counted among the world’s leading naval powers; and the development of Sui village in Bhiwani district, Haryana (that the president visited in 2021), a model village developed by ‘enlightened villagers’ who wanted to give back. The Sui village project was undertaken and rolled out by the Mahadevi Parameshwaridas Jindal Charitable Trust under the state government’s scheme, the Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Recalling his own village in Kanpur Dehat, Kovind spoke with obvious affection about his roots and said no matter where he was in the world, his inner eye always kept his village and his country in its sights. “All of you must serve your place of birth and your country in whatever way you can,” he said.

He made special reference to the helicopter crash that caused the death of chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat and others. The president added that he had great hopes from the new plans of inducting women in the Indian armed forces.

India, he said, has embraced the challenge of reversing climate change and has taken the leadership position in this task. He referred to 75 years of freedom, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s contribution to independence and asked Indians to emulate the spirit of Gandhi. There was no particular reference to Hindutva or the Ram Temple on which construction started in 2021. Unlike some of the speeches of former president Pranab Mukherjee that did not shy away from chiding the government and the Opposition on parliamentary disruption, President Kovind only underlined the enormous sacrifice that went into making India a democracy and later a republic.

His speech had no artifice and it was a simply worded non-judgmental message that reminded Indians that they could tackle any challenge—as long as they kept together.