“The power to stay your hand is far greater than the power to strike with your hand and ‘hinsa’ has no place in the society”: President
ANDALIB AKHTER / NEW DELHI
President of India Ram Nath Kovind today asserted that ‘contentious issues and extraneous debates’ should not be allowed to distract India at a “pivotal moment” when it is at the cusp of achieving many long-awaited goals.
In his address to the nation on the eve of India’s 72nd Independence Day, Mr Kovind President said India was at the cusp of achieving many of long-awaited goals like universal access to electricity, elimination of open defecation, homelessness, and extreme poverty. “It is a pivotal moment and contentious issues and extraneous debates not distract the people from achieving these targets”.
On the growing violent tendency in different part of the country Kovind rinvoked Mahatma Gandhi’s “most noble mantra” on the power of ‘ahinsa’ (non-violence) being far greater than the power of ‘hinsa’ (violence).
His remarks attaches much importance in the backdrop of incidents of lynching and mob violence in some parts of the country.
“The power to stay your hand is far greater than the power to strike with your hand and ‘hinsa’ has no place in the society”.
The weapon of ahinsa was the most effective weapon Gandhiji gave us. Like his other teachings, it was rooted in the ancient wisdom of India and yet has a resonance in the 21st century and in our daily lives.
Mr Kovind said farmers of the country are upholding the country’s freedom by ensuring food security and nutrition for the children. He added that as government assists farmers by providing access to technology, and other facilities for enhanced productivity and incomes, country lives up to the principles of freedom struggle.
Saying that Armed Forces stand guard valiantly on borders in extreme conditions, Mr Kovind stated that they are upholding the freedom by ensuring security from external threats. He also said police and paramilitary forces take on a variety of challenges like battling terrorism, fighting crime and law and order disturbances. He pointed out that in this way, they are upholding the civic freedom.
Highlighting the special role of women in the society, the President said the expansion of freedom in the country in many sense amounts to the expansion of freedom for women. He stressed that as a nation and society, it should be ensured that women have the right to live a life of their choosing. He said by facilitating, credit for women run enterprises and start-ups or by easier availability of LPG in millions of homes, the government has lived up to the principles of freedom struggle.
The President said the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is taking seven flagship programmes to the very doorstep of the poorest and the most deprived among the citizens. He further said that the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan has been extended to 117 Aspirational Districts where still stark gaps in the development narrative remain even after seven decades after Independence.
Mr Kovind said there is a significant overlap between the populations of these districts and historically weaker communities, such as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. He said this is an opportunity to raise the quality of life of those who have unfortunately remained at the bottom of the pyramid.
“Together we can help every citizen in our country. Together we can conserve our forests and natural heritage, we can safeguard our monuments for future generations, we can renew our rural and urban habitats. Together, we can eliminate poverty, illiteracy and inequality. We can and we must do this together. The government has a leading role but not the sole role. Let us use the government’s programmes and projects to further our own efforts. Let us make that sense of ownership our motivation”, the President stressed.