President Droupadi Murmu, who hails from a tribal community, on Sunday said that the government's decision last year to observe November 15 as 'Janajatiya Gaurav Divas' is welcome because our tribal heroes are not merely local or regional icons but they inspire the entire nation.
"Our glorious Freedom Struggle was waged bravely across the vast territory of our country. Many great freedom fighters did their duty and passed on the torch of awakening leaving little trace of their heroic deeds. Forgotten for long were many heroes and their struggles, especially among the peasant and tribal populations. The government's decision last year to observe November 15 as 'Janajatiya Gaurav Divas' is welcome because our tribal heroes are not merely local or regional icons but they inspire the entire nation," said President Murmu in her address to the nation.
"For a nation, particularly an ancient one such as India, the passage of 75 years is merely a blink of an eye. But for us as individuals, it is a lifetime. Senior citizens among us have witnessed a dramatic change in their lifetime. They have seen how, after Independence, all the generations have toiled hard; how we met great challenges and how we have taken charge of our destiny. The lessons learnt in the process will prove useful as we move towards the next milestone in the journey of the nation - the Amrit Kaal, the 25 years to the celebration of the centenary of our Independence," she said.
The President said that India is already on course to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat and by the year 2047, India would have fully realised the dreams of our freedom fighters.
The President said, "By the year 2047, we will have fully realised the dreams of our freedom fighters. We will have given a concrete shape to the vision of those who, led by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, drafted the Constitution. We are already on course to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat, an India that would have realised its true potential."
The President said that Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India.
"For 75 weeks now, the nation has been commemorating these noble ideals that won us freedom. In March 2021, we began the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' with the re-enactment of the Dandi March. This way, our celebrations began with a tribute to that watershed event which had put our struggle on the world map. This festival is dedicated to the people of India," she said.
She said, "Citizens from all age groups have keenly participated in a series of events held across the country. This grand festival is going ahead with the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan'. The Indian tricolours are fluttering in every nook and corner of the country. Great brave hearts would have been thrilled to see the spirit of the Independence Movement coming alive again on such a massive scale."
President Murmu delivered her maiden address to the nation on Sunday on the eve of the 76th Independence Day, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement.
Droupadi Murmu, 64, a tribal hailing from Odisha, took oath as the 15th president on July 25. She is the youngest and first tribal to hold the top constitutional post. She is the first president to be born after independence.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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