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Stating that India is at a “pivotal moment”, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Tuesday that “contentious issues and extraneous debates” should not be allowed to “distract us”. In his televised address to the nation on the eve of 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). “The power to stay your hand is far greater than the power to strike with your hand and hinsa has no place in society,” he said. LIVE Updates: PM Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech at Red Fort
“We are at a juncture in our history that is very different from any period we have so far experienced. We are at the cusp of achieving many of our long-awaited goals. Universal access to electricity, the elimination of open defecation, the elimination of homelessness, the very elimination of extreme poverty is achievable and attainable. We are at a pivotal moment. Let contentious issues and extraneous debates not distract us,” said Kovind.
WATCH LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day 2018 speech
“Women have a special role in our society. The expansion of freedom in our country in many senses amounts to the expansion of freedom for women in our country. This is true whether we see them as mothers, sisters, daughters or simply as women who are entitled to a life of their choosing – and deserving of the opportunity and the security to fulfil their potential. They could do this as sheet-anchors of our families or as absolutely critical entrants to our institutions of higher learning and our workforce. The choice is theirs; as a nation and as a society we must ensure that they have the right and the ability to exercise that choice,” he said.
The President said that every Indian “who does his or her job with sincerity and commitment, who contributes to society by being true to a professional ethic” is “upholding the values of freedom”. “Every citizen of India who does his or her duty sincerely, fulfils a personal and professional obligation and keeps to a given word is, at a fundamental level, upholding the principles of our freedom struggle. I would argue that every Indian who does not jump the queue and respects the civic space and rights of those ahead in the line also lives up to the principles of our freedom struggle. It’s a very small gesture. Let us try and abide by it,” he said.
Read | Full text: President Ram Nath Kovind’s speech on eve of Independence Day
He said farmers, armed forces and paramilitary forces all uphold the spirit of the freedom struggle.
In another reference to Gandhi, Kovind spoke on his “concept of swadeshi”. “Gandhiji spoke of swadeshi with an uncommon zeal. To him this was a pride in promoting Indian creativity and an Indian sensibility. Nevertheless, he was alive to intellectual currents from the rest of the world. He invited these to enrich our learning. To him, Indian civilisation was defined by open windows and not closed doors. This was his concept of swadeshi and it is still relevant to us as we engage with the world – whether for our economy, our health, education and social aspirations, or our policy choices,” he said.
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