Fellow
Indian citizens, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Namaskar!
It
gives me immense pleasure to extend greetings to all Indians in Hong Kong and
Macao Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China on the
occasion of the 76th Independence Day of India.
It is
a privilege for me to join you all in Hong Kong in celebrating this important
milestone in the history of our nation, having assumed charge of the post of
the Consul General of India to Hong Kong and Macao SARs just a few days ago.
This
is a special day for us to remember with gratitude the sacrifices made by the
Indian freedom fighters and reflect upon the strengths of the Indian democratic
system. It is also an occasion to celebrate with a sense of pride India’s
growth story, even as we emerge from the pandemic, the innovation and enterprising
spirit of our youth, our progress towards gender equality, our heritage and
culture and take measure of the road traveled since independence.
To
commemorate this historic occasion, we celebrate the period of 12 March 2021-15 August 2023 as the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM).
As
part of this commemoration, a special campaign, ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ has also
been launched by the Government. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has called
upon citizens to turn this campaign into a mass movement by hoisting or
displaying the National Flag at their homes. Bringing the flag home
collectively as a nation in the 75th year of independence thus becomes symbolic
of not only an act of personal connection to the Tiranga but also an embodiment
of our commitment to nation-building. I urge the Indian Diaspora in Hong Kong
and Macao SARs to participate in this campaign and make it a resounding
success.
The contributions made by the
Indian community to Hong Kong’s economic growth and prosperity are immense and I
would like to take this opportunity to convey my gratitude to our vibrant
community here for building and supporting the relationship between India and
Hong Kong.
I would now read some excerpts
from the Hon’ble Rashtrapati ji’s Address to the Nation delivered yesterday
evening.
My heartiest
greetings in advance to all Indians living in the country and abroad on the eve
of the 76th Independence Day. I am delighted to address you on this
momentous occasion. India is completing 75 years as an independent nation.
Fourteenth August is observed as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ so as to
promote social harmony, unity and empowerment of people. Tomorrow marks the day
when we had freed ourselves from the shackles of colonial rulers and decided to
reshape our destiny. As all of us celebrate the anniversary of that day, we bow
to all those men and women who made enormous sacrifices to make it possible for
us to live in a free India.
In most other
well-established democracies, women had to wage long-drawn struggles to get the
right to vote. But India adopted universal adult franchise right since the
beginning of the Republic. Thus, the makers of modern India enabled each and
every adult citizen to participate in the collective process of
nation-building. Thus, India can be credited to have helped the world discover
the true potential of democracy.
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. Based on the success achieved by the people, the resolve to
build 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' is also a part of this Mahotsav. 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 martyrs would have been thrilled to see the spirit of the
Independence Movement coming alive again on such a massive scale.
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 15th November as ‘Janajatiya Gaurav
Divas’ is welcome because our tribal heroes are not merely local or regional
icons but they inspire the entire nation.
Dear Citizens,
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.
The world has seen a
new India rising in recent years, more so after the outbreak of COVID-19. Our
response to the pandemic has been appreciated everywhere. We launched the
biggest vaccination drive in human history with vaccines manufactured in the
country itself. Last month we crossed the 200-crore mark in cumulative vaccine
coverage. In combating the pandemic, our achievements have been better than
those of many developed countries. For this feat, we are grateful to our
scientists, doctors, nurses, paramedics and the staff associated with
vaccination.
The pandemic has
uprooted lives and also economies in the entire world. When the world has been
battling the economic consequences of the great crisis, India got its act
together and is now moving forward. India is among the fastest growing major
economies in the world. India's start-up eco-system ranks high in the world.
The success of start-ups in our country, especially the growing number of
unicorns is a shining example of our industrial progress. The government and
policy-makers deserve credit for beating the global trend and helping the
economy flourish. During the last few years, unprecedented progress has been
made in the development of physical and digital infrastructure. Through the
Pradhan Mantri Gati-Shakti Yojana, all the modes of connectivity based on
water, land, air etc. are being integrated in the whole country to enable
seamless transportation across the country. For the vibrancy of growth visible
in our country, credit must also be given to workers and farmers whose hard
work has made it possible and entrepreneurs whose business acumen has created
wealth. What is all the more heartening is that the growth is becoming more
inclusive and regional disparities too are reducing.
Dear Citizens,
At the core of the
transformation, we have been witnessing in healthcare, education, economy as
well as a number of related areas is the stress on good governance. When work
is done with the spirit of ‘Nation First’, it is bound to reflect in every
decision and every sector. This is also reflected in India’s standing in the
world.
India’s new-found
confidence stems from the spirit of its youth, its farmers, and above all, its
women. Gender inequalities are reducing and women are moving ahead, breaking
many glass ceilings. Their increasing participation in social and political
processes will prove decisive. At the grassroots level, we have more than 14
lakh elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Our daughters are the
biggest hope for the nation. Some of them brought laurels for the country at
the recently held Commonwealth Games. Of course, India’s sportspersons have
been making the country proud by their
performance in international
competitions. A large number of our winners come from underprivileged segments
of society. From becoming fighter pilots to space scientists, our daughters are
scaling great heights.
Dear Citizens,
In celebrating
Independence Day, we are celebrating our ‘Bharatiyata’. Though our country is
so diverse, we all have something in common. It is this common thread which
binds all of us together and inspires us to walk together with the spirit of Ek
Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
India is a very
beautiful country, also with its mountains, rivers, lakes and forests and the
animals and birds. When the environment is facing new challenges, we must
remain determined to preserve all that makes India beautiful. Conserving water,
soil and bio-diversity is our duty towards our children. Caring for Mother
Nature has been part and parcel of Indian culture. With our traditional life
style, we Indians can show the way to the rest of the world. The popularity of
Yoga and Ayurveda is also on the rise all over the globe.
Before I conclude, I
would like to extend Independence Day greetings to the armed forces, to the
members of Indian missions abroad, and to the Indian diaspora who continue to
make their motherland proud. My best wishes to all of you.
Thank you,
Jai Hind!
