Outgoing President Kovind's address to nation: Key takeaways

New Delhi, July 24: Outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the nation on Sunday, on the eve of demitting office.

Here are the takeaways from his speech:

• 5 years ago, I was elected as the President through your elected people's representatives. My term as the President is finishing today. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you & your public representatives.

• Ram Nath Kovind, who grew up in a very ordinary family in Paraunkh village of Kanpur Dehat district, is addressing all of you countrymen today, for this, I salute the power of the vibrant democratic system of our country.

  LIVE: President Kovind addresses the nation on the eve of demitting office https://t.co/RonFNeCIAG

  — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 24, 2022

• Visiting my native village during the tenure of the President and touching the feet of the elderly teachers in my Kanpur school to seek their blessings will always be among the most memorable moments of my life.

• Staying connected to our roots is the speciality of Indian culture. I would request the younger generation to continue this tradition of being associated with their village or town and their schools and teachers.
• The nation has been celebrating 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. Next month, we'll celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence. We will enter the 'Amrit Kaal', the 25-year period leading to the centenary of Independence.
• I will especially cherish the occasions when I had an opportunity to meet our brave jawans of the armed forces, para-military forces and the police. Their patriotic zeal is as amazing, as it is inspiring.
• When Gandhiji returned to the motherland in 1915, the nationalist fervour was gaining momentum. I have always strongly believed that no other country has been as fortunate as India in having a galaxy of leaders, each of whom was an exceptional mind, within a span of a few decades in the early twentieth century.
• Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, like a modern-day 'rishi', was at work to help us find our cultural roots again, while Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was vigorously advocating the cause of equality that was unheard of in most advanced countries. From Tilak and Gokhale to Bhagat Singh and Netaji, from Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee to Sarojini Naidu and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay - nowhere in the history of humankind have so many great minds come together for a common cause.
• The formal map for the democratic path we all have been navigating was drafted by the Constituent Assembly. It included great minds from across the country, including 15 remarkable women such as Hansaben Mehta, Durgabai Deshmukh, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and Sucheta Kripalani.
• The Constitution they prepared, with invaluable contributions from each of them, has been our guiding beacon. Values enshrined in it have been part of the Indian ethos since time immemorial.
• In his concluding remarks in the Constituent Assembly before the Constitution was adopted, Dr. Ambedkar had pointed out the distinction between two kinds of democracy. He had said we must not be content with mere political democracy.
• I quote, "We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it, social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. These principles of liberty, equality and fraternity are not to be treated as separate items in a trinity. They form a union of trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy."
• Once the basic necessities are taken care of, the next requirement is to let each citizen pursue happiness by discovering their potential and letting them do what they alone are destined to do. Here, education is the key. I believe the National Education Policy will go a long way in making it possible for young Indians to connect with their heritage and also find their feet in the twenty-first century.
• The pandemic has underlined the need to further improve the public healthcare infrastructure. I am glad that the Government has accorded top priority to this task. Once education and healthcare are in place, economic reforms will let citizens find the best course for their lives. I firmly believe that our country is getting equipped to make the 21st century, the century of India.
• During the five years of my term, I have discharged my responsibilities to the best of my ability. I have been conscious of being a successor to great icons like Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. When I entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan, my immediate predecessor, Pranab Mukherjee, also shared his wise counsel with me about my duties.
• Still, whenever I was in doubt, I turned to Gandhiji and his famous talisman. His advice of recalling the face of the poorest man and asking myself if the step I am about to take will be of any use to him. At the risk of repeating myself, I will urge you to contemplate Gandhiji's life and teachings at least for a few minutes every day.
• Mother Nature is in deep agony and the climate crisis can endanger the very future of this planet. We must take care of our environment, our land, air and water, for the sake of our children. In our daily lives and routine choices, we must be more careful to protect our trees, rivers, seas and mountains as well as all other living beings. As the first citizen, if I have to give one advice to my fellow citizens, it has to be this.