Kalam's call for making India prosperous, safe

Chandigarh, Aug 17: President A P J Abdul Kalam today gave a clarion call for working with a unity and determination to make the country not only rich and prosperous but also a safe nation.

''Let us resolve today that we shall work with great unity and singular determination with a vision to make our nation, all its states, not only rich and prosperous, but above all a safe nation invulnerable forever to invasions across its borders: on land, sea and air and further into history, to aggression from space,'' he said while addressing an audience after dedicating to the nation the War Memorial here built through citizens' initiative led by the Indian Express Group of Newspapers.

Dr Kalam said the country had to guard itself from another way of soft aggression against the technology and market forces.

He said the country had won freedom not only by the sacrifices of valiant people from this region, but from all regions and they had to live through nearly a century of united struggle for freedom from alien rule. Those noble and brave souls had visualised politics as a national movement towards noble ideals and goals, he added.

''Let us now take the opportunity to reawaken the same spirit of the Freedom Movement for realising a safe, prosperous and happy India by 2020,'' he said.

Dr Kalam said the people of this strategically important region of the nation have, from time immemorial, earned the respect and gratitude of the entire nation by their valour, bravery and sacrifice, defending the country and its democratic, cultural and spiritual heritage against repeated waves of invasion and alien rule over the centuries.

He said since independence, the people of this region have sacrificed 8459 lives to protect the sovereignty and integrity of our nation, and ''we are honouring them today''.

He said the sacrifices of the people of this region over the centuries can well be imagined, as they continue to defend this sacred land and its cultural heritage.

The President said after the first pre-historic human settlements, complex and sophisticated cultures were established in India for 2500 years. Thereafter, for the next 2300 years, our country was repeatedly invaded and occupied in three waves for about 1325 years across its land borders from Europe, west Asia and Central Asia.

Then the fourth wave arrived with the British and other European powers, lasting 227 years.

Dr Kalam said the first freedom movement led by Chandragupta Maurya lasted 246 years; the second freedom movement led by Chandragupta II lasted 681 years. The third freedom movement started only 60 years ago led by Mahatma Gandhi. ''What is important for us is to note that the independence we are now celebrating is the result of third freedom movement'', he added.

''So let us resolve today that we shall work with great unity and singular determination with a vision to make our nation and all its states not only rich and prosperous, but above all a safe nation invulnerable forever to invasions across its borders: on land, sea and air and further into history, to aggression from space'', he added.

Dr Kalam said the whole nation knows that the devotion of this region is not confined to the boundaries of this state alone, but it has been expressed as service to the whole nation, in many fields of social and economic endeavour, at all levels and in many national and state institutions. ''This region has done so not only in ancient times, but more so after we regained our sovereignity and independence 60 years ago'', he said, adding ''Let your devotion be linked with duty and led by discipline; then success is certain''.

The President said inauguration of the war memorial was an important occasion and the names of those soldiers who laid down their lives in 13 different operations of the Army, Navy and Air Force, are engraved in granite. They sacrificed their lives so that the future generations can live in honour, peace and prosperity.

Appreciating the creation of this War Memorial, he said a notable feature of this project is that part of the funds raised for the war memorial will be used for upgrading schools and hospitals in rural areas where the martyr soldiers belong. He said the country needs a national war memorial and he will work for its establishment.

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Union Territory Administrator Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues, former Punjab Governor Lt General (retd) JFR Jacob and Editor-in Chief of the Indian Express Shekhar Gupta also spoke at the function.

Among those present on the occasion were Governors and Chief Ministers of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, top Army and civil officers and families of martyr widows.

Later the President flew to Sanghol village in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab where he will inaugurate Sanghol Educational Complex of Shradhanjali Charitable Trust. He will have interaction with vice chancellors of various universities of Punjab and students of Kanya Maha Vidhyalaya(KMV) at Jalandhar.

UNI