First of all, a very happy 69th Republic Day to all the citizens of this exuberant country. Every year, on this very day, we witness so many programmes in our schools and offices. We talk about sacrifice and the valour of our soldiers who are posted on the borders of our country. We talk about the makers of our great Constitution and how impeccably it ensures equal rights to all citizens, of every caste and religion.
Violence is the greatest threat to our Constitution and the situation in the country at present is extremely serious and terrorising.
Today, I want to ask one thing – how many of us recognise this problem and stand against this problem? What steps have be taken by citizens to tackle the rising intolerance in our country?
The degree of participation of the people in a country’s political process decides how strong its democracy is. If we compare India to the rest of the world, the amount of public participation is higher in other countries.
The present situation brings in much despair and exasperation. A group of Hindu militants are trying to take over the country and they are distorting history in the process. When we talk about a ‘rising’ India and its role as a ‘soft power’, we should keep in mind that mischievous acts hamper the image of a great country like ours.
I would like to end by saying that when a group of people defy the Constitution and state governments act powerless, don’t we, as the citizens of this great country, need to counter them by displaying our anger? Certainly not through violence but by taking part in decision making. We need to think and ponder over this. The future of our country lies in our hands and not that of hooligans. Jai Hind, and once again, wishing you a very happy Republic Day.