Hon'ble Vice President,

Hon'ble Prime Minister,

Chief Justice of India,

Speaker of Lok Sabha,

Members of the Union Council of Ministers,

Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha,

Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha,

Members of Parliament,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we celebrate an important event in the history of India. On this day, 60 years ago, there was jubilation as the long struggle against foreign rule had culminated in the freedom of India. This year we also celebrate another historic event in India's path to freedom as we mark the 150th anniversary of the War of Independence of 1857. We bow our heads in reverence to pay tribute to the brave men and women of that era. I can quote a few names like Mangal Pandey, Tatia Tope, Rani Lakshmibai, Begum Hazrat Mahal and Kitturu Rani Chennamma, but there remain many more whose supreme sacrifices had shown us the road to freedom.

This unique moment in history provides us an opportunity to look at the past with pride and to the future with hope and confidence. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, at the dawn of India's freedom, while addressing the nation said, and I quote, " It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity." Unquote Let us reaffirm our commitment to work with determination and dedication for a glorious future of India.

On this day, let us remember the devotion and sacrifice of our freedom fighters and pay homage to them. We shall forever remain indebted for their selfless service. Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subramaniam Bharathi, C. Rajagopalachari, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and many others have immortalised themselves in the pages of our country's history. We must not forget the brave women of this nation who participated in the freedom struggle, who were not secondary to the men, but equals in their zeal and commitment to the cause of freedom. Prominent among them were Kasturba Gandhi, Dr. Sarojini Naidu, Aruna Asaf Ali, along with many others.

India's freedom came not by the efforts of a few, but with the united support of multitudes - those millions of unknown and unsung champions of our freedom. We gratefully pay our homage to them and ensure that they inspire us today to dedicate ourselves to the cause of upholding those timeless values of freedom, tolerance, justice, equality and harmony and pledge to build a strong and modern India of the 21st Century.

Dr. Ambedkar said, and I quote, "Democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen." The multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic character of India continues to be our greatest strength and the harmonious coexistence of such diversity remains an exemplary role model for the world at large.

Today, India stands at the threshold of a new era of progress. We are witnessing historically unprecedented rates of economic growth. It should be our combined endeavor to sustain this growth and ensure that it is socially inclusive, particularly for the disadvantaged and the marginalised. We must ensure that every region of the country participates in and benefits from the process of economic growth that is destined to transform India.

In agriculture and allied sectors, modern technology and improved farm practices can further sustain the gains in these areas and ensure food security for our future generations.

In modern India, development in all sectors of industry have shown remarkable achievements. We should continue to march ahead to scale new heights in the face of stiff global competition.

To realise the full potential of our people, we must invest in their capabilities and empower them with modern education and comprehensive health care. We must continue our campaign against poverty, ignorance and disease and seek a better future for the coming generations.

Education should be one of our primary focus areas. Every citizen of this country - man or woman, boy or girl - must be given the opportunity to be educated. Universal education is the key to a prosperous and successful India. Demographically India has one of the world's youngest populations, and the active participation of the youth and empowering them with education is necessary to eliminate the social evils that spring from ignorance.

We have a glorious history in art and culture. We are duty bound to pass on this proud legacy to our younger generation. We should expose them to the treasure of great Indian art and culture and help them inherit our traditional and moral values and basic tenets of humanism.

As we move into the 7th decade of our independence, let us ensure that the pride in our nations' democratic traditions does not give way to complacency. Parliament is the edifice of democracy and freedom, representing the will of the people. It therefore becomes important that our Parliamentarians efficiently meet the aspirations of our people. For our efforts to yield results, we need to improve implementation mechanisms of our programmes. Corruption today poses a grave challenge to our system and it is time that the nation begins to determinedly combat this menace.

As we surge ahead on the path of growth and development, the world today is compelled to take notice of this awakening power that is India. India has a crucial role to play in the world order. As a nation we have always believed in , the world is one and humanity is a single family. The world, in this hour of uncertainty and darkness, plagued by wars and terrorism, can take inspiration from India and our commitment to values such as non-violence and tolerance. India is committed in its resolve to foster friendly ties with the nations of the world and together with the international community work towards a united and prosperous world.

Thus, on this sixtieth anniversary of our Independence, let us pledge to dedicate ourselves to the welfare and happiness of the people of India, and humanity at large.

JAI HIND ! 

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