Kalam calls for national movement of development

New Delhi, Jan 25 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today called for a national movement of development to make India prosperous with a ''visible global presence in strategic sectors'' even before 2020, the deadline set under Vision 2020 for becoming a developed nation.

''A national movement of development is essential'' to achieve a robust and sustainable economic growth that would ensure a peaceful, secure, happy and prosperious society, Dr Kalam said in his customary address to the nation on the eve of the Republic Day.

''In this movement, every citizen, every constituent of our democracy has to participate,'' he said in the half-an-hour address, under the topic ''What can I give to my nation?'', that was carried by the state media -- Doordarshan and All India Radio.

Explaining his topic, the President unveiled a long list of contributions the people could make to provide further momentum to the all round progress the country was witnessing and make the movement a great success.

Besides advocating the national movement, Dr Kalam exhorted -- in the form of a poem which he said was his message -- the people to have ''courage'' to think different, invent, discover the impossible, share knowledge, combat problems and, above all, to succeed.

''As a youth of my nation, I will work and work with courage to achieve success in all my missions,'' were the concluding lines of his 12-line poem that also marked the end of his address on the eve of the 58th Republic Day.

Courage was a very important trait for all sections of society in overcoming challenges that normally came in the way of a nation that was marching towards its missions, Dr Kalam explained.

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