Full text of President Ram Nath Kovind's address on Independence Day eve

President Kovind said every Indian who does his or her job with sincerity and commitment is upholding the principles of our freedom struggle

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said that contentious issues and extraneous debates should not be allowed to distract Indians at a "pivotal moment" when the country is at the cusp of achieving many long-awaited goals.

In his televised address to the nation on the eve of India's 72nd Independence Day, Kovind recalled Mahatma Gandhi's "most noble mantra" on the power of 'ahinsa'(non-violence) being far greater than the power of 'hinsa' (violence), remarks that come against the backdrop of incidents of lynching and mob violence in some parts of the country.

Touching upon a range of issues, the President also