In her address to the nation on the eve of the 75th Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday praised ‘Bharat Ratna’ Karpoori Thakur and said that the historic consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya was a testament to people’s trust in judiciary.

In a televised address, the president said that the life of Karpoori Thakur, one of the greatest advocates of the backward classes, was a message.

Speaking about the mega consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, President Murmu said that future historians will consider the event a landmark in India’s continued re-discovery of its civilisational heritage.

Below is the full text of her speech

My Dear Fellow Citizens, Namaskar!

My heartiest greetings to all of you on the eve of the 75th Republic Day! My heart is filled with pride when I look back and see how far we have travelled despite adversities. The 75th year of the Republic is truly a historic milestone in the journey of the nation in many ways. This is an especially festive occasion, just as we celebrated the unique greatness and diverse culture of our nation during the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, when we completed 75 years of Independence.

Tomorrow is the day when we celebrate the commencement of the Constitution. Its Preamble begins with the words “We, the People of India”, highlighting the theme of the document, namely, democracy. In India, democratic system is much older than the concept of western democracy. That is the reason why India is called the “mother of democracy”.

After a long and difficult struggle, on 15th August, 1947, India became free from foreign rule. Yet, the task of framing the principles and processes that would govern the country and unleash its true potential was still a work in progress. The Constituent Assembly spent nearly three years holding detailed discussions on all aspects of governance and produced the great founding document of our nation, the Constitution of India. Today, the nation gratefully remembers the leaders as well as the officials who contributed to the framing of our splendid and inspiring Constitution.

The nation is in the early years of Amrit Kaal, the period leading to the centenary of Independence. This is the time of an epochal transformation. We are given a golden opportunity to take the country to new heights. Contribution from every citizen will be crucial to achieve our goals. For this, I will appeal to all my fellow citizens to abide by our Fundamental Duties enshrined in the Constitution. These duties are essential obligations of every citizen towards making Bharat a developed nation when it completes 100 years of independence. Here, I think of Mahatma Gandhi who had rightly said, “No people have risen who thought only of rights. Only those did so who thought of duties.”

My Dear Fellow Citizens,

Republic Day is an occasion to recall our foundational values and principles. When we contemplate any one of them, we are naturally guided to the rest. Democracy implies diversity of culture, beliefs and practices. Celebrating diversity implies equality, which is upheld by justice. Freedom is what makes it all possible. The totality of these values and principles is what makes us Indian. Guided by the sagacity of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the spirit of the Constitution, imbued with these foundational values and principles, has led us invariably on the path of social justice to put an end to all kinds of discrimination.

I would like to mention here that the celebration of the birth centenary of a tireless champion of social justice, Shri Karpoori Thakur Ji, concluded yesterday. Karpoori Ji was one of the greatest advocates of backward classes who dedicated his life for their welfare. His life was a message. I pay my tribute to Karpoori Ji for enriching public life through his contributions.

The ethos of our Republic brings together more than 1.4 billion of us to live as one family. For this largest family in the world, co-existence is not an imposition of geography but a source of happiness, which finds expression in our Republic Day celebrations.

Earlier this week, we witnessed the historic consecration ceremony of the idol of Prabhu Shri Ram in the glorious new temple constructed at His birthplace in Ayodhya. When this event will be seen in the wider perspective, the future historians will consider it a landmark in India’s continued re-discovery of its civilisational heritage. The construction of the temple commenced after the due judicial process and the decision of the highest court of the land. Now it stands as a grand edifice, giving a befitting expression not only of people’s faith but also as a testament to people’s enormous trust in judicial process.

environment-conscious lifestyle. The global community has appreciated our country’s emphasis on individual behaviour-change for dealing with the issues of climate change. People everywhere can and must contribute by bringing their lifestyle in tune with Mother Nature. That will not only help save the planet for the generations to come but will also enhance the quality of life.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

The period of Amrit Kaal is also going to be the period of unprecedented technological changes. Technological advances like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning have moved from headlines into our daily lives at a breathtaking speed. There are numerous areas of concern in the foreseeable future, but there are also exciting opportunities ahead, especially for the youth. They are exploring new frontiers. We need to do all we can to remove hurdles from their path and let them unleash their full potential. What they want is equality of opportunity. What they want is not the same old rhetoric of equality, but the realisation of our cherished ideal of equality.

It is, after all, their confidence that is building the India of tomorrow. Moreover, the mind of the youth is shaped by teachers, who are the real architects of the nation’s future. I would also like to make a thankful mention of our farmers and labourers who toil silently and make a mighty contribution to creating a better future for the nation. On the eve of this auspicious occasion, India also gratefully salutes the members of our Armed Forces, Police and Para-military Forces, without whose valour and vigil we would not have scaled the great heights we have.

Before I conclude, let me offer my greetings to the members of the judiciary and civil services. My Republic Day greetings to the officials of India’s missions abroad and the diaspora community! Let us all dedicate ourselves to serve the nation and fellow citizens in every way we can. My best wishes to all of you in this endeavour.

Thank you. Jai Hind! Jai Bharat!