Prime Minister’s Independence Day Address
Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s address from the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day:
"Dear citizens,
I greet you on the 63rd anniversary of our independence. When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the Tricolour on this historic Red Fort, on 15th August, 1947, he called himself the first servant of India. I address you today in the same spirit of service.
A few days back, many precious lives were lost in Laddakh due to a cloud burst. I convey my heart felt condolences to the family members and other near and dear ones of those who have perished. In this hour of grief, the whole country stands with the people of Laddakh. It is my assurance that the Central Government will do everything possible for rehabilitation of the affected people.
When I addressed you last year on Independence Day, our country was facing a number of difficulties. There was a drought like situation in many parts of the country. We were also affected by the global economic slow down. I am happy to say that we have acquitted ourselves well in these difficult circumstances. Despite many problems, the rate of our economic growth has been better than most other countries in the world. This shows the strength of our economy.
This strength has been evident not only in the last one year but also in our economic progress in the last many years. Today, India stands among the fastest growing economies of the world. As the world's largest democracy, we have become an example for many other countries to emulate. Our citizens have the right to make their voice heard. Our country is viewed with respect all over the world. Our views command attention in international fora.
All of you have contributed to India's success. The hard work of our workers, our artisans, our farmers has brought our country to where it stands today. I specially salute our soldiers whose bravery ensures the safety of our borders. I pay tribute to all those martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for our country.
We are building a new India in which every citizen would have a stake, an India which would be prosperous and in which all citizens would be able to live a life of honour and dignity in an environment of peace and goodwill. An India in which all problems could be solved through democratic means. An India in which the basic rights of every citizen would be protected. In the last few years, we have taken many significant steps in this direction. Every person living in rural areas now has the assurance of 100 days of employment through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The Right to Information Act is helping our citizens to become more aware. This year our Government has enacted the Right to Education which will help every Indian to share in the benefits of the country's economic progress and also to contribute to it. To ensure equal partnership of women in our progress, we have taken initiative for reservation for women in Parliament and in State legislatures. Apart from this, reservation for women has been increased to 50 per cent in local bodies.
Despite our many strengths, we face some serious challenges. We should resolve today that we will meet these challenges as one people. Our society often gets divided in the name of religion, State, caste or language. We should resolve that we will not allow divisions in our society under any circumstance. Tolerance and generosity have been a part of our traditions. We should strengthen these traditions. As we progress economically our society should also become more sensitive. We should be modern and progressive in our outlook.
Our Government has laid special emphasis on the welfare of our farmers and on increasing agricultural production. After we came to power in 2004, we realized that the state of Indian agriculture in the preceding 7-8 years was not satisfactory. Our Government increased public investment in agriculture. We started new schemes for increasing production. We encouraged agricultural planning at the district level. I am happy that the growth rate of our agriculture has increased substantially in the last few years. But we are still far from achieving our goal. We need to work harder so that we can increase the agricultural growth rate to 4 per cent per annum.
Our Government wants a food safety net in which no citizen of ours would go hungry. This requires enhanced agricultural production which is possible only by increasing productivity. Our country has not witnessed any big technological breakthrough in agriculture after the Green Revolution. We need technology which would address the needs of dry land agriculture. In addition, our agriculture should also be able to deal with new challenges like climate change, falling levels of ground water and deteriorating quality of soil. In the history of Indian agriculture, Norman Borlaug commands a special place. About 40 to 50 years back he developed new and more productive seeds of wheat. Under the leadership of Smt. Indira Gandhiji, India achieved the Green Revolution by adopting these seeds. I am happy to announce that the Borlaug Institute of South Asia is being established in India. This institute would facilitate availability of new and improved seeds and new technology to the farmers of India and other countries of South Asia.
We have always taken care to provide remunerative prices to farmers so that they are encouraged to increase production. Support prices have been increased every year in the last six years. The support price for wheat was enhanced to Rs.1,100 per quintal last year from Rs.630 per quintal in 2003-04. In paddy, this increase was from Rs.550 per quintal to Rs.1,000 per quintal. But one effect of providing higher prices to farmers is that food prices in the open market also increase.
I know that in the last few months high inflation has caused you difficulties. It is the poor who are the worst affected by rising prices, especially when the prices of commodities of every day use like foodgrains, pulses, vegetables increase. It is for this reason that we have endeavored to minimize the burden of increased prices on the poor. Today, I do not want to go into the detailed reasons for high inflation. But, I would certainly like to say that we are making every possible effort to tackle this problem. I am also confident that we will succeed in these efforts.
It is obvious that any person or institution cannot spend more than his income over a long period of time, even if it is the Government. It is our responsibility that we manage our economy with prudence so that our development is not affected adversely in the future because of high debt. We import about 80 per cent of our requirement of petroleum products. After 2004, we have increased the prices of petroleum products much less compared to the increase in the price of crude oil in the international market. The subsidy on petroleum products has been increasing every year. It had become necessary therefore to increase the prices of petroleum products. If this had not been done, it would not have been possible for our budget to bear the burden of subsidy and our programmes for education, health and employment of the poor would have been adversely affected.
In the 63 years after independence, India has covered a long distance on the path of development. But our destination is still far away. A large part of our population still suffers from persistent poverty, hunger and disease. When our Government came to power in 2004, we resolved to build a new India under a progressive social agenda. We wanted the fruits of development to reach the common man. We initiated programmes especially targeted to the welfare of the socially and economically backward sections of our society. We still stand committed to the welfare of the poor, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and other backward sections of our society. But today we do not need many new programmes to achieve our goals. However, we do need to implement the schemes we have already started more effectively, minimizing the chances of corruption and misuse of public money. We want to achieve this in partnership with the State Governments, Panchayat Raj Institutions and civil society groups.
Secularism is one of the pillars of our democracy. It has been the tradition of our country and society to treat all religions with equal respect. For centuries India has welcomed new religions and all have flourished here. Secularism is also our constitutional obligation. Our Government is committed to maintain communal peace and harmony. We also consider it our duty to protect the minorities and provide for their special needs. This is why we have started many new programmes in the last four years for the welfare of our brothers and sisters belonging to the minority communities. These include scholarships for minority students and special programmes for the development of districts which have a high concentration of minorities. These schemes have shown good results. We will vigorously take this work forward.
We have been giving special attention to education and health in the last six years. Improvement in these two areas is an important component of our strategy for inclusive growth. It is also necessary for higher economic growth in the years to come. After independence, these two areas could not get the importance they deserved. We tried to change this state of affairs in the 11th Plan. Today, almost every child in our country has access to primary education. Now, we need to pay more attention to secondary and higher education. We also need to improve the quality of education at all levels. It is our endeavour that every child, irrespective of whether he is rich or poor and which section of the society he belongs to, should be given an education that enables him to realize his potential and makes him a responsible citizen of our country. We will continue to implement the new schemes that we have started in the last six years in the areas of education and health with sincerity and hard work and in partnership with the State Governments. We will soon bring a Bill to Parliament for constitution of two separate councils in higher education and health respectively so that reforms in these two areas can be accelerated.
Nutritious food and good health services are necessary but not enough for ensuring good health of our citizens. We also need cleanliness and good sanitation in our villages, towns and cities. There are many diseases which would be difficult to prevent otherwise. The truth is that our country lags behind in this area. I consider it a primary responsibility of all our citizens to maintain cleanliness and hygiene around them. I would like our children to be taught the importance of cleanliness and hygiene in schools from the very beginning under a campaign for a Clean India. I appeal to the State Governments, Panchayat Raj Institutions, civil society groups and common citizens to make this campaign successful.
Mahatma Gandhi had said that our earth has enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed. Imprudent use of the earth's natural resources has resulted in the problem of climate change. We need to use our natural resources with care and prudence. It is our responsibility towards the coming generations to protect and preserve our forests, rivers and mountains. Our government will endeavour to take care of environmental concerns in our projects for economic development.
There is a large deficit in our physical infrastructure which affects our economic development adversely. There is a shortfall in the supply of electricity to industries. Our roads, ports and airports are not of world standards. We have been trying to increase electricity production and improve our roads, ports and airports. The resources required to create good physical infrastructure are difficult for the Government alone to mobilize. Therefore, we have endeavoured to involve the private sector in our efforts. The steps that we have taken after 2004 to improve our physical infrastructure have started bearing fruit now. About one and half a months back, I dedicated a new terminal of the Delhi airport to the nation. This is an excellent terminal which has been completed in record time. We will continue to make such efforts to improve our physical infrastructure.
There has been much discussion recently on the issue of internal security. If law and order in any part of India deteriorates or peace and harmony gets disturbed, the common man is adversely affected. Therefore, it is one of the primary responsibilities of any government to maintain law and order so that the citizens can live and earn their livelihood in an atmosphere of peace and harmony. Naxalism is a serious challenge to our internal security. I pay tribute to the men and officers of our security forces who have became martyrs in the attacks by naxalites in the last few months. I have stated this before and I say it again - our Government will fully discharge its responsibility to protect each and every citizen of our country. We will deal firmly with those who resort to violence. We will provide all possible help to State Governments to maintain the rule of law in areas affected by naxalism. I once again appeal to naxalites to abjure violence, come for talks with the Government and join hands with us to accelerate social and economic development. A few days back I took a meeting with the Chief Ministers of States affected by naxalism. We will fully implement the consensus that emerged in that meeting. I would like to repeat here a point that I made in that meeting. It is imperative that Centre and States work together to meet the challenge of naxalism. It would be very difficult for any State to tackle this problem without cooperation from the Centre and coordination between States. We all need to rise above our personal and political interests to meet this challenge.
As I have stated earlier, most naxalite affected areas lag behind in development. Many such areas also have a large concentration of our adivasi brothers and sisters. We want to end the neglect of these areas. I have asked the Planning Commission to formulate a comprehensive scheme towards this end, which we would implement fully. It is also our endeavour that our adivasi brothers and sisters join the mainstream of development. They have been dependent on forest produce for centuries and this dependence should not end without the creation of new sources of livelihood. Apart from adequate compensation for land which is acquired from them, we should also ensure that our adivasi brothers and sisters have a stake in the developmental project being undertaken.
I would like to state one more thing in this context. It is very necessary to make the administrative machinery more sensitive in areas affected by naxalism. The government officials who work there should not only be sincere but should also be alive to the special needs of our adivasi brothers and sisters. It is my hope that the State Governments will pay adequate attention to these requirements.
We have a special responsibility towards the States of the North East. We are trying to live up to that responsibility. The North Eastern part of our country has been witness to some unpleasant incidents in the recent months. I would like to convey to all political parties and groups of the North East that disputes in the name of State or tribe can only harm all of us. Discussion and dialogue are the only options to resolve complex issues. As far as the Central Government is concerned, we are ready to take forward every process of talks which could lead to progress in resolution of problems.
In Jammu and Kashmir, we are ready to talk to every person or group which abjures violence. Kashmir is an integral part of India. Within this framework, we are ready to move forward in any talks which would increase the partnership of the common man in governance and also enhance their welfare. Recently, some young men have lost their lives in violence in Jammu and Kashmir. We deeply regret this. The years of violence should now end. Such violence would not benefit anyone. I believe that India's democracy has the generosity and flexibility to be able to address the concerns of any area or group in the country. I recently participated in a meeting with political parties from Jammu and Kashmir. We will endeavour to take this process forward. I would like to convey to our countrymen, especially our citizens in Jammu and Kashmir and in the North East, that they should adopt democratic means to join hands with us for their and country's welfare.
We want prosperity, peace and harmony in our neighbouring countries. Whatever differences we have with our neighbouring countries, we want to resolve them through discussions. As far as Pakistan is concerned, we expect from them that they would not let their territory be used for acts of terrorism against India. We have been emphasizing this in all our discussions with the Pakistan Government. If this is not done, we cannot progress far in our dialogue with Pakistan.
I would also like to say something which is related to our glorious cultural traditions. The use of harsh and unpleasant words in our political discourse has increased in recent days. This is against our traditions of generosity, humility and tolerance. Criticism has a place of its own in a democracy and in a progressive society. However, criticism should not be undignified. We should have the capacity to reconcile opposite points of view on important issues through debate and discussion. I would request all political parties to consider this issue.
The Commonwealth Games will start in Delhi after about one and a half months. This will be a proud moment for the whole country and especially for Delhi. I am convinced that all our countrymen will treat the Games as a national festival and will leave no stone unturned to make them a success. The successful organization of Commonwealth Games would be another signal to the world that India is rapidly marching ahead with confidence.
Our future is bright. The day when our dreams will come true is not far off. Let us all resolve on this anniversary of our independence that we will keep the flag of our nation flying high. Let us march ahead together on the path of progress and prosperity.
Dear children, please say Jai Hind with me.
'JAI HIND'
'JAI HIND'
'JAI HIND'”
***
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Independence Day Message of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, 2010
Respected fellow citizens of the State and the Country
On the auspicious occasion of the 64th Independence Day of our great nation, I extend my warm greetings to the people of Sikkim and to my fellow Countrymen. As the Sikkim Democratic Front party entered into the sixteenth year of continued governance in the State, I most humbly reiterate our time-tested commitment to uphold the right of individual freedom and safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of our great Country. Today we once again pay our rich tribute to our outstanding leaders who took the formidable challenge to script the fate of the new-found nation- uncertain of its own inner potential but confident of the future to secure the overall development for the countrymen after a very eventful and hard struggle. As the rightful progeny of the freedom struggle, we shall forever uphold the indomitable spirit so characteristic of the freedom struggle and cement the absolute sense of oneness, national integration and co-existence across the length and breadth of the Nation.
During the last 63 years, the Country has successfully brought about socio-political and economic transformation duly adjusting to the changing global circumstances and also its inner potential. Now the message is that the freedom we secured in 1947 must be viewed under the changed circumstances. The onus is on harnessing this freedom for the good of all humankind. The case is utilizing this freedom as an instrument of change- a positive change. Freedom is not an excuse for hankering after the lost opportunity. Freedom is not something employed to retrieve your honour thus muddled all the times.
Arguably, the main political leaders at the time of independence of India were Gandhi and Nehru. These two leaders stood for two contrasting approaches to development. Gandhi favoured development centred in rural villages which would create self sufficiency in food, clothing and housing. By contrast, Nehru was a firm believer in national and industrial growth. And you are aware that in Sikkim we assimilated both the philosophical viewpoints to advance policy framework that best address the concerns of both the leaders based on equitable development spread including distribution of welfare schemes throughout the State.
Respected fellow citizens, the Sikkim Democratic Front government in the State has paved the way for a new sense of development dynamism that fulfills physical requirement and also equally complements the mental and spiritual wellbeing of the people. During the last sixteen years, we have built a firm base for democratic expression including free expression of dissent and criticism which is exercisable within the limit of democratic decency. Today, you are aware that many reactionary elements are out in the street to tarnish the good image of the State Government which have, with great care, nurtured and promoted for years together. Under the common umbrella of our sacred document, we are equally empowered to see that Sikkim continues to grow and prosper. Here we recall the freedom we asserted in 1947 was conceived on the essential values of self-discipline, hard work and that ultimate goal of common good designed to transform the State and the Nation as markedly better than the erstwhile India under British imperialism.
Wading through the murky political atmosphere of acute political vendetta of the pre 1994 Sikkim, marked by intimidation and coercion, we have consistently withstood the challenges to make Sikkim and the Sikkimese secure, protected and self-assured. The Sikkim Democratic Front party has been given this unprecedented mandate to serve the collective interest of the people for the record fourth consecutive term. Knowing fully well that no one is above the wishes of the people as provided under the Constitution, we will continue to guide the future of Sikkim and the Sikkimese with greater vigour and energy.
Having successfully experimented the many innovative and imaginative development models in Sikkim, we have come to realize that though Democracy as an institution guarantees equal opportunity and equal access to fundamental rights but it does not necessarily ensure equitable growth and development of an individual. That means the ability to harness democratic dividend depends on the ability and capability of the individual or group of individuals. Therefore, we are now consciously pursuing set of development programs seeking to improve skills and enhance knowledge of the individual to equally harness the economic avenues brought about under the democratic system. May I call upon my fellow Sikkimese to forever remain partner in this grand vision with its long-term goal.
Thanks to the wisdom of people at large, the anti-people forces has been rejected for all purpose ushering in a new wave of thinking and that essential democratic ideals. With particular emphasis on upliftment of ST, SC, women and the marginalized and downtrodden people, we took a number of unprecedented policy initiatives to address issues of social justice, equality, education, health, poverty alleviation, customary rights, dialects and languages, rural development and empowerment of weaker section of people. On this happy occasion, I am proud to state that the tribal communities in Sikkim are most empowered in Country who take active part in the development of the State and the country. As per the calculation made by the State authority based on National Survey Sample (NSS) data, the per capita asset value of the Scheduled Tribes (Bhutias and Lepchas) in Sikkim is Rs 71,700 as against national average of the STs of Rs 30,000. The per capita asset value in general of the Sikkimese population is Rs 60000 as against the national average of Rs. 40, 000.
Respected citizens, you are aware that one of the first decisions we took with immense socio-cultural consequences was allocation of 70% of State Plan allocation for rural sector. After the policy decision we undertook many pro-poor schemes to provide basic minimum needs to the people of Sikkim. Meanwhile, for the most deprived section of population, we have carried out dedicated schemes for ensuring food, shelter and clothings including free distribution of rice at the rate of 35 kilos per household, Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana at the rate of Rs. 6 lakhs each, Rural Housing Scheme with cash grant of Rs. 20,000, 30 GCI sheets, electricity and LPG connection, free incentives for the BPL households, free education and free medical care. We are implementing these many schemes to ensure that rural Sikkim develops at the same pace with the urban locality. In respect of women empowerment issue, we have created many historical mileposts by guaranteeing them equal and affirmative share. They are today the most empowered section of population in the entire Country. Sikkim, therefore, has emerged as the only State in the Country to provide maximum benefit and overall security cover to its people. The people of Sikkim are the fortunate lot to have received host of such benefits directly from the Government. Today, as we celebrate this Independence Day, I believe we have been able to lend greater meaning to the State as we have been able to relieve downtrodden people from relative poverty, disparity, daily needs, health hygiene and educational needs. All these social measures have also helped generate livelihood opportunity for the people.
Closely following the goal of social justice paradigm, our Government has launched yet another unique scheme under the Chief Minister’s Universal Financial Inclusion programme to cover all the married rural women in the State. This will empower them economically which would invariably raise their status and self-esteem in a given society. The Sikkim Government is the first State to initiate such a significant social reform measure aiming to provide them with complete social security cover to live a dignified life.
Under the Chief Minister’s Universal Financial Inclusion program, one Smart Card would be provided to one married woman with an initial deposit of Rs.1000/- at her credit. The scheme takes off providing her access to Banking to be available at her door steps at her own village. Besides, this scheme would provide insurance cover against accident, property losses covering five members of the family.
The Central Bank of India is our partner in this Mission under which bank correspondents appointed by the Bank in consultation with local panchayats will visit each house in the village to find out the requirement by the married women. We are also examining the Bank’s offer to open one-man branch office in each Gram Panchayat unit to facilitate advanced banking facilities at the grass root level. Today, you have witnessed the distribution of four Smart Cards to four of our womenfolk under the scheme which will be covered fully in due course of time.
Respected fellow Sikkimese
The long cry of connectivity and the distressful sense of physical isolation is today almost a thing of the past. You are well aware that the Airport at Pakyong built under the aegis of the Airport Authority of India is making very steady progress. A high level State Committee has been constituted to monitor and assist the AAI to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.
In terms of railway connectivity, the Government of India has been kind to sanction the rail connectivity from Sevoke to Rangpo at a total cost of Rs. 3380 crores. As per the latest report, the project has been awarded to M/S IRCON International ltd (Indian Railway Construction, an undertaking under the Ministry of Railway, Government of India. The work has since started and would be completed by the year 2015. Thereafter, the 2nd phase from Rangpo to Gangtok would be taken up for which the survey work has been completed.
National Highway 31A double laning has been funded and sanctioned by the Ministry of Surface Transport to be implemented by the Border Road Organization into a double lane highway from Sevoke to Nathula. Although the work is in progress, it needs to be expedited for early completion of the lifeline to Sikkim. The other alternative route to Siliguri in West Bengal via Chalsa must also be taken up expeditiously. Once these projects are completed, the people of Sikkim will get immense relief from prolonged monsoon in the hills and the continuous disruption of the National Highway by rains, landslides and other natural calamities.
Respected citizens, we are well aware that cultural heritage, tradition and customs and languages of people form the essential ingredient of a meaningful life. We are a rainbow State, where different languages and dialects of the tribal conglomerate enrich and complement the overall socio-cultural texture of the Sikkimese people. I have always maintained that development of mosaic on our beautiful culture which reflects the cultural wealth of all sections of people will be always empowering and refreshing. Therefore, equality in terms of religious beliefs and practices and linguistic freedom have always been foremost in our mind. We, therefore, acted in rapid succession to preserve, promote and recognize many of our ethnic festivals, languages, dialogues and indigenous practices. Local festivals belonging to different communities have been declared as Gazette holidays. Ancient rituals and practices have been revived adding further richness to our ethnicity. Incantation and invocation to local deities so prominent and unique a cultural resource in our State have been revived through various incentives. This is to ensure that human existence based on tradition and culture is preserved always and next we intend to relate the cultural wealth as our productive commodities in this scientific world, in this knowledge society. Culture and tradition of the Sikkimese people are unique and our original and indigenous cultural heritage is what makes us distinct and special in the world.
In the last sixteen years, we have regularly upgraded the level of intellectual output in the context of increased public debate, freedom of press, state planning process, preparation of perspective plans, human development and vision document etc. On different occasions earlier, I have noted with dismay the absence of any meaningful opinions shaping society towards constructive path. The civil society members, on most occasions, have chosen to sound neutral on issues of public importance. What happens in such a situation is that when not many good people voice their opinion, evil and corrupt people would drown the voice of sanity, rationality, reason and practicality. To overcome this shortfall, our Government has been designing all possible interventions so that crooked people do not prey on simple folks due to their ignorance and lack of knowledge. Concept like that of Village Library, Community Centre, etc. have been conceptualized by us so that knowledge will flow free and wide to the remotest parts of the State, making our people, informed, knowledgeable and wise.
We prepared Human Development Report, Vision Document, Village Development Action Plan, Urban Plan duocument to define the benchmark- of where we stand and setting new targets to achieve within certain time frame. Economic Survey report is prepared and tabled periodically so that we know the level of our achievement and the next step to undertake for further development. While formulating the perspective plans and programs, we consult a wide spectrum of society from noted economists, professionals, people’s representatives, panchayats, local gentry etc. so that the decision so emerged will have the elements of novelty and inclusiveness. We have created Institutions like Sikkim State Planning Commission, Sikkim State Commission for Women, Sikkim Akademi, Himalayan Centre for Adventure Tourism, Sikkim Board of Investment, Youth Commission and Environment Commission.
Respected citizens, in the education sector, education upto college level is free. Sikkim is the only State in the country today to earmark 20 percent of plan allocation to Education sector. We have set up number of other colleges including the one at Rhenock, Namchi and Soreng. Besides, there are a number of technical institutions imparting technical training to our children with on the spot placement facility. Three Sanskrit Colleges have been set up in the State. Language teaching of different ethnic languages have commenced in School of Sikkim with appointment of regular teachers.
In order to cover more students under our program, the State Government has already made announcement to extend all available educational incentives upto Class VIII students including supply of free school uniform, text books, exercise books, shoes/socks etc. The Chief Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for the fifty meritorious students at the Class V level has taken off from this year which has benefitted the selected students to study in public schools. The best ten out of these fifty students have been admitted in renowned public schools at Gwalior and Kasauli. This scheme will be enlarged to cover 100 best students from next year and the number will go up every subsequent year. More of our educated youths are coming out with flying colors in competitive examination at the All India levels. I would like to call upon all the people to fully utilize the incentives provided by the Government.
Health sector have been our priority sectors with considerable investment both with regard to resource allocation and institutional innovations. Sikkim was the first State in the country to sponsor free Hepatitis B vaccination for children in the age group of 0-1 years. In comparison to the national indicators, the health indicators of Sikkim are three times better.
Innovative steps involving both preventive and curative measures have been undertaken. This noble initiative has been launched under the auspices of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Annual and Total Check-up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) campaign. We need to be adequately equipped with a comprehensive data covering the health profile of each and every citizen in the State for timely intervention in providing health care and treatment can be organized more efficiently. This exercise will involve upgrading the technical expertise of our doctors including the Para-medics as well as improving the physical facilities for diagnostic services covering the entire network of our medical Centres throughout the State. We will initiate action in this regard with careful planning and also chart a realistic road map to achieve the goals under this Mission.
You will be happy to note that our Government has sponsored 85 Sikkimese boys and girls in Manipal University at Mangalore for undergoing Bsc. Nursing and allied courses. On completion of this training, the State will have the advantage of such specialized training in higher nursing. Undoubtedly, the noble work of nursing so important in health care will go a long way in meeting our requirement. A well trained nurse bestowed with Florence Nightingale qualities makes wholesome difference in the patient to recover quickly.
The absence of a super-specialty Hospital to cater to the multiple life threatening health problems of our citizens has been a grave concern for the Government. The existing facilities available with the STNM hospital are inadequate to cater to the growing pressure for treatment and medical care. With a view to resolving this problem and also for relieving the burden of our people from having to seek treatment outside the State by incurring huge expenses and often having to succumb to loss of lives due to delayed medical attention, we are constructing a 575 bedded multi-specialty hospital within the State Capital. In order to ease the financial strain particularly for those falling under the BPL category, we had also launched the Health Insurance Scheme at the fag end of the fiscal year 2008-2009. Under the dispensation of this scheme, the medical treatment of the needy and poor will be taken care of. You are aware that the State Government has already introduced Mobile Medical Units to cover people living in remote and inaccessible areas. We have also acquired two new bhawans in the national capital of Delhi for providing additional accommodation for our patients to receive advanced medical treatment there.
A number of schemes for extending health care assistance to those patients who are referred by the State Medical Board for medical treatment involving advanced cases of ailments as well as life threatening illness will be covered under the Mukhya Mantri Jeewan Raksha Kosh programme. Under the auspices of this scheme, two programmes namely the Mukhya Mantri Netra Jyoti Yojana and the Mukhya Mantri Sravan Shaki Samridhi Yojana have also been envisaged to cater to the needs of patients. Problems relating to anemia and malnutrition will also be addressed with regular administration of de-worming and Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplement courses covering children, pregnant and lactating mothers including men who are anemic. Our Government has also started administering MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine for girl child between age group of 0-12 years. These programmes will also be complemented with the distribution of protein supplement food inputs to remedy the malnutrition problems effecting children under the auspices of the Mukhya Mantri Antyodaya Pustakhar Yojana under the State Government programme.
The State Government is deeply committed to provide nutritious food and diet to our ailing patients in the hospitals in the State. The State Government is already working in this direction for facilitating good food and diet to our patients staying in the hospitals where funds have been provided for this purpose. In addition to all the existing health incentives, we are also starting a new Pharmacy College of the State at the Leprosy Hospital complex, Sajong during this financial year. Health Insurance for all the Sikkimese people are being taken up. During this financial year, I am pleased to announce similar provision to cover all the government employees under health insurance after evolving appropriate modalities. I am privileged one more time to reiterate the State Government commitment to make Sikkim malnutrition free, goitre or iodine deficiency free, TB & MDR free and HIV/AIDS free under the ongoing programme which will be vigorously pursued with additional resource allocation from time to time.
Now, there is no denying the fact that youth power is a potential energy that we can well channelize for the benefit of our society, State and the nation. The seriousness with which we view this issue is exemplified by our decision to create an independent Department of Sports and Youth Affairs. Different forms of games including archery, cricket, boxing and other forms of martial arts shall be further promoted in the State upto the BAC and sub-division levels. The State Government is also establishing Archery Academy in the State. We have regularized the service and posted Physical Education Teachers in all school above Secondary level. I call upon my people and the young generation to take advantage of all the available infrastructure and institutions to train themselves in their respective field. I am confident that now when I rise up every morning, I would see the enthusiasm of youths in overflowing numbers on the street with football, cricket bats and boxing glove in their hands headed for the early morning practice in addition, of course, to their regular Samsung, Nokia or may be the Blackberry!
What I intend to communicate is that the issue of youth power management has received a focused impetus from the Government with a wide-ranging support system in place. The State Government has realized that creating opportunities in hosts of sectors alone will not address unemployment problem among the people. This has to be adequately commensurate by creating pool of trained human resource to tap all the job opportunities.
We have to accept the ground reality of this emerging world order and re-orient ourselves to equip our people. Accordingly, we began by instituting the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme in June 2002 which provides for soft loans of upto 3 lakhs to the aspiring youths to undertake different business ventures. Till date we have sanctioned loan to over 6,000 educated unemployed youths at the financial implication of Rs. 57.30 crores. There are similar other loan schemes for our youths which they can avail of from time to time. The youth force in the State should, accordingly, take advantage and reap maximum benefit out of these many initiatives.
Respected fellow Sikkimese, we have realized that without trained manpower, our people are not able to avail of the emerging opportunities in diverse fields including trade, small industrial units, power projects and hospitality services. We undertook similar campaign last year to generate awareness among people. Continuing with the same zeal and enthusiasm, we have created a new Institute of Capacity Building in addition to the existing Directorate of Capacity Building in the State. We have added a new dimension in our effort by establishing one Livelihood School each in every constituency. Many young boys and girls are undergoing different kinds of vocational upgradation training in such Institutes across the State. We are the first State in the Country to institutionalize capacity building program in the form of formal Institutions. We have been able to provide a new thinking and a new concept to the entire people of the State and also the Country. I would call upon the youth population to fully take advantage and become fully literate and capable citizens of the Country.
You are aware that the role of Government is to create as many opportunities and avenues as possible for development of our young generation. We have been trying to create every type of opportunities at the village level, district level and the State level to cater to the aspirations of the young generation. Now that I feel that once such opportunities exist, it is also the responsibility of each and every citizen to help the youngsters undertake skill development training and take advantage of all the existing opportunities.
Sikkim, blessed by all the Nature’s bounty, can thoroughly become a Green State and the world famous destination. Beginning in 1995 with green initiatives like the ‘Harit Kranti Varsh’, we have worked tirelessly towards nature’s conservation on regular basis. We have continued the activities under the State Green mission, and efforts are being made to take up the greening of our State in a more systematic and planned manner. A novel initiative in the current year is to earmark a certain percentage of the works outlay of the infrastructure departments for this purpose.
The more recent initiative namely ‘Ten Minutes to Earth’ program was started in 2009. Dedicated to the environmental well being of the State, this campaign has gained immense popularity among all sections of people. Like on all other occasions, plantation drive under this particular program has become very popular among people. This year, on July 25, 2010 that people of Sikkim again planted saplings in large number on turning this event as an annual ritual, as annual festival. This day will be observed every year as green day throughout the State planting yet another lakhs sapling by the people.
It is our movement and responsibility to make Sikkim more beautiful and greener by integrating ecology with economy for posterity. I appeal to all to wholeheartedly support the movement and ensure active participation by planting seedling and saplings this monsoon. We have to make all our natural resources sustainable I call upon the people to fully dedicate and participate in this campaign and make it successful. The issue of environmental conservation should not be viewed within the parameter of containing the process of global warming but should be viewed as a sustainable development and preservation of our Nature for sustained economy, opportunity and creation of employment now and in the days to come.
In order to make eco-tourism the new profession of the 21st century people, we have initiated a multi-pronged strategy to make it a sustainable means of livelihood which includes creation of tourist attraction destinations across the State. You are aware that we have today hosts of new attractions like the 135 feet tall statue of Guru Padmasamvawa at Samdruptse, Char Dham at Solaphok, Buddha Park at Ravangla, statue of chen regiz, underground monastery, Sarva Dharma Sai Mandir at Daramdin, sports like Bungee Jumping for adventure tourism and the proposed Skywalk at Bhaley Dhunga so on and so forth. Plans are also afoot to link up each and every religious centres and institutions in the rural Sikkim for pilgrimage tourism. Sikkim is also all set to play crucial role in the promotion of Buddhist Circuit tourism in the country. The Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation has also recently concluded a joint agreement with Tamil Tourism Development Corporation in Chennai to carry out reciprocal promotion, marketing and tourism related business between the two States.
Sikkim’s natural environment is conducive for large scale production of off-season vegetables along with production of cardamom, mandarin orange, passion fruits and seeds production. Sikkim has been designated as Agri Export Zone with emphasis on production and export of large cardamom, ginger, flower and cherry pepper at the international markets. The State is also promoting organic farming so that by 2009, Sikkim could be transformed an ‘organic state’. Again, the climate of Sikkim is ideal for growth of Cymbidium Orchids, Lillium and Rose bulb and these are produced on a massive scale. The fact that Sikkim provides perfect natural conditions for the growth of these flowers means it can compete internationally in terms of price and quality, thus creating immense possibility and potential for the State. With the recent opening of the first Livelihood School for Organic Farming in Sikkim, the momentum for transforming Sikkim into the total organic State shall received great impetus.
With a whopping hydro-power potential of 8000 MW, Sikkim is all poised to reap hefty economic dividend from this Nature’s bounty. The State Government has taken a bold initiative to judiciously harness the abundant resource potential with regard to hydel energy.
We have, in the pipe-line, as many as 21 hydel power projects which have been entrusted for execution on joint venture between State Government and reputed power producers and the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation. These projects envisage a combined installed generation capacity of 5000 MW. Four projects are targeted to be operational during the XIth Five Year Plan with a projected installed generation capacity of 1900 MWs. The Sikkim Power Development Corporation (SPDC) will also initiate steps to take up projects in partnership with the State Government under the PPP module. In all these ventures, the SPDC and the Government of Sikkim will hold equity of 26% as well as enjoy 12% free power for 15 years which will be enhanced to 15% over the subsequent period till the 35th year of the contractual agreement. Apart from the above arrangements from the PPP contract, the contractual agreement will also yield a fair share of dividend from these projects.
The present generation capacity of 610.70 MWs is particularly contributed by the 510 MW Teesta Stage V Hydel Project as well as the 60 MW Rangeet Hydel project along with several other mini and micro hydel projects which have been commissioned over the recent years.
In addition, the State Government will also install 13 micro hydel power projects in East and North Sikkim with the total generating capacity of 1,070 kw. These sanctioned power projects under the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, shall be unique as they will be run and managed by the local panchayats and local people.
After the successful implementation of 73rd Constitution Amendment, our Government has forged ahead in creating yet another historic milestone with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections to the urban local bodies in accordance with the 74th Constitutional Amendment. The resounding mandate that our Party received from this election is testimony to the complete faith and confidence the people have in the transparent and democratic people’s Government in the State. The entire election process was peaceful and orderly and for which I would like to extend my appreciation and thanks to all the respected people of Sikkim for their active participation in the electoral process and the State Election Commission for conducting free, fair and peaceful election. The new regime that has emerged in the true spirit of the 74th Constitution Amendment will infuse a more creative input into the developmental scenario of our State.
Democratic decentralization with inclusive and participative governance has been put in place in every panchayat administrative unit throughout the State. With the creation of the Block Administrative Centres, the process of decentralized district planning for every micro unit of administration within the State has been brought into operation. The bottoms-up approach to the planning process involving District level officials and elected representatives of all Gram Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats has now become a reality. As one of our new initiatives, we have also created MLA-Local Area Development Fund to carry out important development works in the respective Constituency.
Unlike in other parts of the country, the rural-urban divide in Sikkim is quickly narrowing down based on the dedicated program like Village Action Plan being prepared by Professor Bernard Dafflon of the Freebourg University under the broad assistance and support of the State Government. The report prepared by Prof. Dafflon is ready which will be released soon as the roadmap for scientific development of village under the eco-city concept.
Respected fellow citizens
The people of Sikkim have widely witnessed the range of development programs we undertook over the last sixteen years. However, our overall goal is to evolve the kind of profession and occupation that suits the 21st century people. Therefore, we have promoted Service Sector as part of the new profession of the Sikkimese people for the new century. And they will be largely based on- (a) organic farming, (b) agro-based industry, (c) tourism and tourism related trades, (e) education, and (f) IT. This is largely based on the elemental truth that not all the literate and educated Sikkimese will get the white-collared jobs in the future. Therefore, sphere of activities under the service sector and the standard of operations should be systematically upgraded and scientifically updated. This will provide our educated youth honourable economic engagement to progress in life as an independent entrepreneur.
Second aspect linked with employment generation is revenue generation aspect to make Sikkim economically self-sufficient. You are aware that we have decided that all development strategies in the State will be based on the huge natural resources and human resource available at our disposal. Accordingly, we have defined our priority areas which include hydro power generation, setting up of clean industry and high-end entertainment trade like online gaming. When all the on-going projects and schemes are fully commissioned Sikkim will have secured a very self-sufficient future for the next 100 years.
This is the ultimate goal of all our development activities. The people of Sikkim will be able to see the ground impact of our efforts by 2015. That would mean, they would be able to see as well as feel the positive result of our programs more explicitly.
While we have entered into the fourth term of governance in the State, we have worked out a comprehensive Mission Statements to further consolidate the solid development gains we have achieved so far and further to bring about all-round, comprehensive and holistic development of State. They include:
Sikkim Poverty Free Mission: Earmarking of 70 percent of plan allocation for development of rural Sikkim has been the most vocal of our commitment. Through multi-pronged strategies, we are slowly but surely marching ahead to achieve this Mission by 2015;
Sikkim Self Reliant Mission: Through effective development and harnessing of human resources and wide range of development potential based on our natural resources, we are committed to make Sikkim a self-reliant State by 2015;
Human Resource Development Mission: Accordingly to India Today well-researched documentation, India ‘has about four crore people registered at its employment exchanges- but only two lakhs get jobs’. That means at the national and international context, issue of employability among our educated masses is a serious challenge. In Sikkim, we have already devised a range of very competitive intervention to equip our educated youth with the right set of skill and technical and technological knowhow as required by sectors across board. We seek to make our human resource fully employable within 2015.
Social Security Mission: This Mission envisages development and adoption of sustainable social safety nets to protect the interest of all sections of the population including the business community.
Total Literate State: We are fully committed to realize this ambitious mission under the Total Literacy Campaign together with strengthening the existing infrastructure and all other policy interventions from time to time.
Healthy Sikkim Mission: In addition to the whole range of incentives under the program, we shall vigorously introduce innovative steps involving both preventive and curative measures encompassing diagnostic facilities for timely detection of ailments covering all age-groups including provision of treatment and rehabilitative health care have been undertaken.
Sikkim as Producer State: Closely associated with this Mission is our call for transforming Sikkim as the first organic state in the country. Our effort has been to attain self sufficiency in food grains and all other commodities which are practically viable under the prevailing climate and atmosphere.
Sikkim Cooperative Mission: The State Government has introduced policy framework and host of incentives to encourage people to work on cooperative basis. We have today a total number of 347 Cooperative Societies registered with 110 in East, 78 in West, 23 in North and 136 in South District. We will further expand the number to the maximum so that the resultant benefit will have an even distribution among all people in the State. We have already notified measures to grant preferential treatment to registered Cooperative Societies in the State in all development works within the State.
Sikkim Green Mission: Beginning with our first official call way back in 1995, we have progressed by leaps and bound in terms of enlarging and safeguarding our green cover in the State. With the launching of various green campaigns including the more recent ‘Ten Minutes to Earth’, we are very close to meeting our goal.
Eco-tourism destination: Widely hailed as the ultimate shangrila, we are favourably placed to harness the unlimited tourism potential of Sikkim. With all the natural endowment including the third highest mountain peak in the world, we need nothing except strong will and a well-defined path. We are already half way through to attain this mission.
Harnessing hydro-power potential: With the whopping 8000 mw of hydel potential, we have already started working towards this direction to tap as much potential to make our State economically strong and self-sufficient. With the additional 1,070 kw under 13 micro hydel power projects, Sikkim has further discovered its hydro-potential.
Complete Decentralization and devolution: The State Government has successfully implemented all the provisions contained in 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts to fully installed public representatives at the grass-root levels and also urban municipalities. Now, with the ultimate earmarking of funds, functions and functionaries to the village level and urban bodies, Sikkim is well progressed to achieve a new milepost in its development.
We have advanced well in all other sectors. What we need now is further consolidation of our achievements so far to make Sikkim a totally developed State.
Respected Sikkimese citizens
As you can see, the SDF Government is pursuing its goal of comprehensive and holistic development in the State in all sincerity and honesty. The range of development activities with all the desired benefits to the people have completely transformed the image of Sikkim as the most happening State in the Country. While we observe this eventful 64th Independence Day of our great Nation, I would like to announce some new and more imaginative socio-economic measures which will provide speed and momentum to our overall effort at fulfilling the many Missions’ goals as indicated above:
To further provide additional marketing facility to our farmers, four Kisan Bazars in four districts shall be constructed followed by seventeen Kisan Bazars at the BDO level in the villages. Likewise, Community Centres, Play Ground and Knowledge Centre shall be developed in each of these centres;
A new Block Administrative Centre shall be established at Machong Parakha where BDO and other functionaries have been already posted;
New BACs in Chumbung-Chakung and Chongrang in West Sikkim, Nandu Gaon Chisopani in South and Martam in East Sikkim shall be established;
I am also pleased to announce opening of State Bank of Sikkim branch office at all the BACs across the State;
The panchayats will issue Trade licenses in their respective jurisdiction;
The Panchayats will appoint Accounts Assistants in their respective units;
We have instituted annual Discretionary Fund for the panchayats for the first time in the State, which is categorized as follow:
(i) Rs. 10,000 for GPU President, Zilla Member and Nagar Panchayat President;
(ii) Rs. 7,000 for Vice President of GPU, Council Member and Nagar Panchayat Vice-President;
(iii) Rs. 6,000 for Secretary of GPU, and
(iv) Rs. 5,000 for GPU Member and Nagar Panchayat Member;
All GPU centres shall be fully computerized;
A new campaign namely Mukhya Mantri Sakhsarta Abhiyan shall be launched within August 2010 in all the GPUs and the urban body centres to fully transform Sikkim into a literate state;
10. Pre-Primary Teachers have been posted in each ward under all GPUs for providing non-formal education to people between the age group between 15 to 70;
11. The ongoing enumeration under the Chief Minister’s Universal Financial Inclusion programme shall be completed within this financial year;
12. We will work vigorously to make Sikkim kutcha house free and slum free and BPL free state by 2015 and earn the first distinction to achieve this feat in the Country;
13. The State Government is also pleased to announce setting up of sub-regional centres at the village level and depute Agriculture Development Officer, Horticulture Development Officer and Veterinary Officer under Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry Departments;
14. The existing VLW centres and Livestock centre shall be further strengthened;
15. During our last terms, we irrigated a total of 9,215 hectares of land; by 2010 an additional 10,000 hectares of land shall be fully irrigated to cover all the cultivable land;
16. The existing monthly Old Age Pension grant of Rs. 400 shall be enhanced to Rs. 600.
17. For the differentially abled persons in the State, the monthly grants of Rs. 500 shall be further enhanced to Rs. 600;
18. The monthly grant under the State Government’s program of Samajit Bhatta of Rs. 500 shall be further enhanced to Rs. 600.
19. Works below Rs. 50 lakhs shall be given to the registered Cooperative Societies for execution falling within a particular GPU. Further, Cooperative Societies shall be given preferential treatment for grant of work amounting to Rs. 2 crores;
20. Sikkim would be the first State in the Country to achieve the distinction of being a Total Organic State. In fact, Sikkim is the first State to work on patent right and organic certification covering the entire State.
21. Of all the political demands, the State Government will continue to pursue with the central government for early resolution of pending issues like granting of tribal status for the remaining ethnic communities in Sikkim; granting of seat reservation for the Limboo and Tamang communities; primitive tribe status for the Lepcha community; and increase in the Sikkim Legislative seats to 40 and 2 parliamentary seats each in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha from the existing 1.
Respected fellow Sikkimese
As we are on our onward march to make our State developed, we are again witness to the usual antics of some motley group of disgruntled political elements in the State. They have again reassembled and resurfaced to pose resistance to the State Government’s pro-poor and people-centric policies and programs. I would like to maintain that to oppose development of a particular area or community is part of a wider conspiracy to destroy the capacity and economic prospects of people. The parties opposed to us can well question us if there is underdevelopment, they can question us if people are miserable for lack of development. They can question us if people are rendered insecure and if peace and security are threatened. However, when the Opposition parties get jittery over the impressive development initiatives with lot of good prospect for people’s future, this is proof enough that they are anti-people and committing crime against the present and future of Sikkim.
Respected citizens,
We as part of the world community are faced with many challenges. Within the Nation, we are fighting war against extremism, terrorism and against the menace of poverty, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. Locally, we have been trying hard to develop enough immunity cover to fully protect our society from these global menaces.
Environmental degradation has worried the world community like never before. More recently, a study carried out by a journal exhorted people to ‘Go bananas and save the world’ and opt for fish over other meat. Traditionally, we grow bananas under the most organic environment. We must cash on this scientific observation. That means bananas and our famed trout fish very much hold that magic to further brighten up life and our economy.
Peace, security, communal harmony is the hallmark of the Sikkimese society. The sacred provision of Secularism as contained in the Preamble to our Constitution has been fully secured and protected in Sikkim. Even with the projected 8.5 % growth rate in 2010-11 and a 9 % growth rate forecasted for 2011-12, internal strife and disturbing elements are creating a war-like situation in many parts of the Country. Therefore, the most immediate and pertinent understanding of development on the whole should be translating statistics into authentic human happiness in the absolute sense. In Sikkim, we are closely monitoring this aspect to ensure that benefits of ongoing development initiatives reach every doorstep duly making our citizens the happiest people in the Country and the world.
Respected fellow citizens, sixteen years of hard work and consistency on our part have resulted in positive results to not only fulfill many issues and demands which were, otherwise, turned down in the past. The lists are many and long including- inclusion of Sikkim as the eighth Member of NEC, reopening of Nathula trade, and recognition of Limboo and Tamang in the list of Scheduled Tribes and establishment of Sikkim Central University. Exception secured for Sikkim Subject Certificate holders and their descendents in the matter of Central Income Tax has helped to ideally recognize the unique identity of the Sikkimese people thereby further fortify the spirit under Article 371F of the Indian Constitution.
Respected fellow citizens
The Sikkim Democratic Front government shall always stand firm to preserve and further promote peace in the State and the region. Over the last sixteen years, we have faced assaults from our opponent on almost all issues. Empowered by the power of the people thus bestowed upon us and harnessing that freedom for all the good cause, we will as usual unravel the sinister design of our adversaries and keep the Sikkimese people secure and protected for all time to come.
On this solemn occasion, I would call upon all the citizens to fully shoulder their social responsibility and contribute towards strengthening the State and the Country. To the members of civil society, I fervently appeal to stand guard against all anti-social elements. Further, we have a total of 38,861 government employees with the best range of salary structure, daily wages- who are sponsored for regular training, refresher course. Ample promotion avenues have been created granting promotions to all employees on a regular basis. I would continue to solicit continued support from them to give justice to our liberal gesture towards the government employees.
While we share this monumental sense of liberation today, we will also exult in the celebration of freedom and continue to work relentlessly and go for what Jawaharlal Nehru would call it ‘incessant striving’ for the sake of Sikkimese society and the Country at large.
I congratulate all my fellow Sikkimese for the freedom they enjoy and the responsibility they assert in the building of strong society. I also send my warm greetings to my respected Sikkimese people and a Very Best Wishes for a happy and prosperous life ahead.
Thank you
Jai hind
Respected fellow citizens of the State and the Country
On the auspicious occasion of the 64th Independence Day of our great nation, I extend my warm greetings to the people of Sikkim and to my fellow Countrymen. As the Sikkim Democratic Front party entered into the sixteenth year of continued governance in the State, I most humbly reiterate our time-tested commitment to uphold the right of individual freedom and safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of our great Country. Today we once again pay our rich tribute to our outstanding leaders who took the formidable challenge to script the fate of the new-found nation- uncertain of its own inner potential but confident of the future to secure the overall development for the countrymen after a very eventful and hard struggle. As the rightful progeny of the freedom struggle, we shall forever uphold the indomitable spirit so characteristic of the freedom struggle and cement the absolute sense of oneness, national integration and co-existence across the length and breadth of the Nation.
During the last 63 years, the Country has successfully brought about socio-political and economic transformation duly adjusting to the changing global circumstances and also its inner potential. Now the message is that the freedom we secured in 1947 must be viewed under the changed circumstances. The onus is on harnessing this freedom for the good of all humankind. The case is utilizing this freedom as an instrument of change- a positive change. Freedom is not an excuse for hankering after the lost opportunity. Freedom is not something employed to retrieve your honour thus muddled all the times.
Arguably, the main political leaders at the time of independence of India were Gandhi and Nehru. These two leaders stood for two contrasting approaches to development. Gandhi favoured development centred in rural villages which would create self sufficiency in food, clothing and housing. By contrast, Nehru was a firm believer in national and industrial growth. And you are aware that in Sikkim we assimilated both the philosophical viewpoints to advance policy framework that best address the concerns of both the leaders based on equitable development spread including distribution of welfare schemes throughout the State.
Respected fellow citizens, the Sikkim Democratic Front government in the State has paved the way for a new sense of development dynamism that fulfills physical requirement and also equally complements the mental and spiritual wellbeing of the people. During the last sixteen years, we have built a firm base for democratic expression including free expression of dissent and criticism which is exercisable within the limit of democratic decency. Today, you are aware that many reactionary elements are out in the street to tarnish the good image of the State Government which have, with great care, nurtured and promoted for years together. Under the common umbrella of our sacred document, we are equally empowered to see that Sikkim continues to grow and prosper. Here we recall the freedom we asserted in 1947 was conceived on the essential values of self-discipline, hard work and that ultimate goal of common good designed to transform the State and the Nation as markedly better than the erstwhile India under British imperialism.
Wading through the murky political atmosphere of acute political vendetta of the pre 1994 Sikkim, marked by intimidation and coercion, we have consistently withstood the challenges to make Sikkim and the Sikkimese secure, protected and self-assured. The Sikkim Democratic Front party has been given this unprecedented mandate to serve the collective interest of the people for the record fourth consecutive term. Knowing fully well that no one is above the wishes of the people as provided under the Constitution, we will continue to guide the future of Sikkim and the Sikkimese with greater vigour and energy.
Having successfully experimented the many innovative and imaginative development models in Sikkim, we have come to realize that though Democracy as an institution guarantees equal opportunity and equal access to fundamental rights but it does not necessarily ensure equitable growth and development of an individual. That means the ability to harness democratic dividend depends on the ability and capability of the individual or group of individuals. Therefore, we are now consciously pursuing set of development programs seeking to improve skills and enhance knowledge of the individual to equally harness the economic avenues brought about under the democratic system. May I call upon my fellow Sikkimese to forever remain partner in this grand vision with its long-term goal.
Thanks to the wisdom of people at large, the anti-people forces has been rejected for all purpose ushering in a new wave of thinking and that essential democratic ideals. With particular emphasis on upliftment of ST, SC, women and the marginalized and downtrodden people, we took a number of unprecedented policy initiatives to address issues of social justice, equality, education, health, poverty alleviation, customary rights, dialects and languages, rural development and empowerment of weaker section of people. On this happy occasion, I am proud to state that the tribal communities in Sikkim are most empowered in Country who take active part in the development of the State and the country. As per the calculation made by the State authority based on National Survey Sample (NSS) data, the per capita asset value of the Scheduled Tribes (Bhutias and Lepchas) in Sikkim is Rs 71,700 as against national average of the STs of Rs 30,000. The per capita asset value in general of the Sikkimese population is Rs 60000 as against the national average of Rs. 40, 000.
Respected citizens, you are aware that one of the first decisions we took with immense socio-cultural consequences was allocation of 70% of State Plan allocation for rural sector. After the policy decision we undertook many pro-poor schemes to provide basic minimum needs to the people of Sikkim. Meanwhile, for the most deprived section of population, we have carried out dedicated schemes for ensuring food, shelter and clothings including free distribution of rice at the rate of 35 kilos per household, Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana at the rate of Rs. 6 lakhs each, Rural Housing Scheme with cash grant of Rs. 20,000, 30 GCI sheets, electricity and LPG connection, free incentives for the BPL households, free education and free medical care. We are implementing these many schemes to ensure that rural Sikkim develops at the same pace with the urban locality. In respect of women empowerment issue, we have created many historical mileposts by guaranteeing them equal and affirmative share. They are today the most empowered section of population in the entire Country. Sikkim, therefore, has emerged as the only State in the Country to provide maximum benefit and overall security cover to its people. The people of Sikkim are the fortunate lot to have received host of such benefits directly from the Government. Today, as we celebrate this Independence Day, I believe we have been able to lend greater meaning to the State as we have been able to relieve downtrodden people from relative poverty, disparity, daily needs, health hygiene and educational needs. All these social measures have also helped generate livelihood opportunity for the people.
Closely following the goal of social justice paradigm, our Government has launched yet another unique scheme under the Chief Minister’s Universal Financial Inclusion programme to cover all the married rural women in the State. This will empower them economically which would invariably raise their status and self-esteem in a given society. The Sikkim Government is the first State to initiate such a significant social reform measure aiming to provide them with complete social security cover to live a dignified life.
Under the Chief Minister’s Universal Financial Inclusion program, one Smart Card would be provided to one married woman with an initial deposit of Rs.1000/- at her credit. The scheme takes off providing her access to Banking to be available at her door steps at her own village. Besides, this scheme would provide insurance cover against accident, property losses covering five members of the family.
The Central Bank of India is our partner in this Mission under which bank correspondents appointed by the Bank in consultation with local panchayats will visit each house in the village to find out the requirement by the married women. We are also examining the Bank’s offer to open one-man branch office in each Gram Panchayat unit to facilitate advanced banking facilities at the grass root level. Today, you have witnessed the distribution of four Smart Cards to four of our womenfolk under the scheme which will be covered fully in due course of time.
Respected fellow Sikkimese
The long cry of connectivity and the distressful sense of physical isolation is today almost a thing of the past. You are well aware that the Airport at Pakyong built under the aegis of the Airport Authority of India is making very steady progress. A high level State Committee has been constituted to monitor and assist the AAI to ensure that the project is completed on schedule.
In terms of railway connectivity, the Government of India has been kind to sanction the rail connectivity from Sevoke to Rangpo at a total cost of Rs. 3380 crores. As per the latest report, the project has been awarded to M/S IRCON International ltd (Indian Railway Construction, an undertaking under the Ministry of Railway, Government of India. The work has since started and would be completed by the year 2015. Thereafter, the 2nd phase from Rangpo to Gangtok would be taken up for which the survey work has been completed.
National Highway 31A double laning has been funded and sanctioned by the Ministry of Surface Transport to be implemented by the Border Road Organization into a double lane highway from Sevoke to Nathula. Although the work is in progress, it needs to be expedited for early completion of the lifeline to Sikkim. The other alternative route to Siliguri in West Bengal via Chalsa must also be taken up expeditiously. Once these projects are completed, the people of Sikkim will get immense relief from prolonged monsoon in the hills and the continuous disruption of the National Highway by rains, landslides and other natural calamities.
Respected citizens, we are well aware that cultural heritage, tradition and customs and languages of people form the essential ingredient of a meaningful life. We are a rainbow State, where different languages and dialects of the tribal conglomerate enrich and complement the overall socio-cultural texture of the Sikkimese people. I have always maintained that development of mosaic on our beautiful culture which reflects the cultural wealth of all sections of people will be always empowering and refreshing. Therefore, equality in terms of religious beliefs and practices and linguistic freedom have always been foremost in our mind. We, therefore, acted in rapid succession to preserve, promote and recognize many of our ethnic festivals, languages, dialogues and indigenous practices. Local festivals belonging to different communities have been declared as Gazette holidays. Ancient rituals and practices have been revived adding further richness to our ethnicity. Incantation and invocation to local deities so prominent and unique a cultural resource in our State have been revived through various incentives. This is to ensure that human existence based on tradition and culture is preserved always and next we intend to relate the cultural wealth as our productive commodities in this scientific world, in this knowledge society. Culture and tradition of the Sikkimese people are unique and our original and indigenous cultural heritage is what makes us distinct and special in the world.
In the last sixteen years, we have regularly upgraded the level of intellectual output in the context of increased public debate, freedom of press, state planning process, preparation of perspective plans, human development and vision document etc. On different occasions earlier, I have noted with dismay the absence of any meaningful opinions shaping society towards constructive path. The civil society members, on most occasions, have chosen to sound neutral on issues of public importance. What happens in such a situation is that when not many good people voice their opinion, evil and corrupt people would drown the voice of sanity, rationality, reason and practicality. To overcome this shortfall, our Government has been designing all possible interventions so that crooked people do not prey on simple folks due to their ignorance and lack of knowledge. Concept like that of Village Library, Community Centre, etc. have been conceptualized by us so that knowledge will flow free and wide to the remotest parts of the State, making our people, informed, knowledgeable and wise.
We prepared Human Development Report, Vision Document, Village Development Action Plan, Urban Plan duocument to define the benchmark- of where we stand and setting new targets to achieve within certain time frame. Economic Survey report is prepared and tabled periodically so that we know the level of our achievement and the next step to undertake for further development. While formulating the perspective plans and programs, we consult a wide spectrum of society from noted economists, professionals, people’s representatives, panchayats, local gentry etc. so that the decision so emerged will have the elements of novelty and inclusiveness. We have created Institutions like Sikkim State Planning Commission, Sikkim State Commission for Women, Sikkim Akademi, Himalayan Centre for Adventure Tourism, Sikkim Board of Investment, Youth Commission and Environment Commission.
Respected citizens, in the education sector, education upto college level is free. Sikkim is the only State in the country today to earmark 20 percent of plan allocation to Education sector. We have set up number of other colleges including the one at Rhenock, Namchi and Soreng. Besides, there are a number of technical institutions imparting technical training to our children with on the spot placement facility. Three Sanskrit Colleges have been set up in the State. Language teaching of different ethnic languages have commenced in School of Sikkim with appointment of regular teachers.
In order to cover more students under our program, the State Government has already made announcement to extend all available educational incentives upto Class VIII students including supply of free school uniform, text books, exercise books, shoes/socks etc. The Chief Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for the fifty meritorious students at the Class V level has taken off from this year which has benefitted the selected students to study in public schools. The best ten out of these fifty students have been admitted in renowned public schools at Gwalior and Kasauli. This scheme will be enlarged to cover 100 best students from next year and the number will go up every subsequent year. More of our educated youths are coming out with flying colors in competitive examination at the All India levels. I would like to call upon all the people to fully utilize the incentives provided by the Government.
Health sector have been our priority sectors with considerable investment both with regard to resource allocation and institutional innovations. Sikkim was the first State in the country to sponsor free Hepatitis B vaccination for children in the age group of 0-1 years. In comparison to the national indicators, the health indicators of Sikkim are three times better.
Innovative steps involving both preventive and curative measures have been undertaken. This noble initiative has been launched under the auspices of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Annual and Total Check-up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) campaign. We need to be adequately equipped with a comprehensive data covering the health profile of each and every citizen in the State for timely intervention in providing health care and treatment can be organized more efficiently. This exercise will involve upgrading the technical expertise of our doctors including the Para-medics as well as improving the physical facilities for diagnostic services covering the entire network of our medical Centres throughout the State. We will initiate action in this regard with careful planning and also chart a realistic road map to achieve the goals under this Mission.
You will be happy to note that our Government has sponsored 85 Sikkimese boys and girls in Manipal University at Mangalore for undergoing Bsc. Nursing and allied courses. On completion of this training, the State will have the advantage of such specialized training in higher nursing. Undoubtedly, the noble work of nursing so important in health care will go a long way in meeting our requirement. A well trained nurse bestowed with Florence Nightingale qualities makes wholesome difference in the patient to recover quickly.
The absence of a super-specialty Hospital to cater to the multiple life threatening health problems of our citizens has been a grave concern for the Government. The existing facilities available with the STNM hospital are inadequate to cater to the growing pressure for treatment and medical care. With a view to resolving this problem and also for relieving the burden of our people from having to seek treatment outside the State by incurring huge expenses and often having to succumb to loss of lives due to delayed medical attention, we are constructing a 575 bedded multi-specialty hospital within the State Capital. In order to ease the financial strain particularly for those falling under the BPL category, we had also launched the Health Insurance Scheme at the fag end of the fiscal year 2008-2009. Under the dispensation of this scheme, the medical treatment of the needy and poor will be taken care of. You are aware that the State Government has already introduced Mobile Medical Units to cover people living in remote and inaccessible areas. We have also acquired two new bhawans in the national capital of Delhi for providing additional accommodation for our patients to receive advanced medical treatment there.
A number of schemes for extending health care assistance to those patients who are referred by the State Medical Board for medical treatment involving advanced cases of ailments as well as life threatening illness will be covered under the Mukhya Mantri Jeewan Raksha Kosh programme. Under the auspices of this scheme, two programmes namely the Mukhya Mantri Netra Jyoti Yojana and the Mukhya Mantri Sravan Shaki Samridhi Yojana have also been envisaged to cater to the needs of patients. Problems relating to anemia and malnutrition will also be addressed with regular administration of de-worming and Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplement courses covering children, pregnant and lactating mothers including men who are anemic. Our Government has also started administering MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine for girl child between age group of 0-12 years. These programmes will also be complemented with the distribution of protein supplement food inputs to remedy the malnutrition problems effecting children under the auspices of the Mukhya Mantri Antyodaya Pustakhar Yojana under the State Government programme.
The State Government is deeply committed to provide nutritious food and diet to our ailing patients in the hospitals in the State. The State Government is already working in this direction for facilitating good food and diet to our patients staying in the hospitals where funds have been provided for this purpose. In addition to all the existing health incentives, we are also starting a new Pharmacy College of the State at the Leprosy Hospital complex, Sajong during this financial year. Health Insurance for all the Sikkimese people are being taken up. During this financial year, I am pleased to announce similar provision to cover all the government employees under health insurance after evolving appropriate modalities. I am privileged one more time to reiterate the State Government commitment to make Sikkim malnutrition free, goitre or iodine deficiency free, TB & MDR free and HIV/AIDS free under the ongoing programme which will be vigorously pursued with additional resource allocation from time to time.
Now, there is no denying the fact that youth power is a potential energy that we can well channelize for the benefit of our society, State and the nation. The seriousness with which we view this issue is exemplified by our decision to create an independent Department of Sports and Youth Affairs. Different forms of games including archery, cricket, boxing and other forms of martial arts shall be further promoted in the State upto the BAC and sub-division levels. The State Government is also establishing Archery Academy in the State. We have regularized the service and posted Physical Education Teachers in all school above Secondary level. I call upon my people and the young generation to take advantage of all the available infrastructure and institutions to train themselves in their respective field. I am confident that now when I rise up every morning, I would see the enthusiasm of youths in overflowing numbers on the street with football, cricket bats and boxing glove in their hands headed for the early morning practice in addition, of course, to their regular Samsung, Nokia or may be the Blackberry!
What I intend to communicate is that the issue of youth power management has received a focused impetus from the Government with a wide-ranging support system in place. The State Government has realized that creating opportunities in hosts of sectors alone will not address unemployment problem among the people. This has to be adequately commensurate by creating pool of trained human resource to tap all the job opportunities.
We have to accept the ground reality of this emerging world order and re-orient ourselves to equip our people. Accordingly, we began by instituting the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme in June 2002 which provides for soft loans of upto 3 lakhs to the aspiring youths to undertake different business ventures. Till date we have sanctioned loan to over 6,000 educated unemployed youths at the financial implication of Rs. 57.30 crores. There are similar other loan schemes for our youths which they can avail of from time to time. The youth force in the State should, accordingly, take advantage and reap maximum benefit out of these many initiatives.
Respected fellow Sikkimese, we have realized that without trained manpower, our people are not able to avail of the emerging opportunities in diverse fields including trade, small industrial units, power projects and hospitality services. We undertook similar campaign last year to generate awareness among people. Continuing with the same zeal and enthusiasm, we have created a new Institute of Capacity Building in addition to the existing Directorate of Capacity Building in the State. We have added a new dimension in our effort by establishing one Livelihood School each in every constituency. Many young boys and girls are undergoing different kinds of vocational upgradation training in such Institutes across the State. We are the first State in the Country to institutionalize capacity building program in the form of formal Institutions. We have been able to provide a new thinking and a new concept to the entire people of the State and also the Country. I would call upon the youth population to fully take advantage and become fully literate and capable citizens of the Country.
You are aware that the role of Government is to create as many opportunities and avenues as possible for development of our young generation. We have been trying to create every type of opportunities at the village level, district level and the State level to cater to the aspirations of the young generation. Now that I feel that once such opportunities exist, it is also the responsibility of each and every citizen to help the youngsters undertake skill development training and take advantage of all the existing opportunities.
Sikkim, blessed by all the Nature’s bounty, can thoroughly become a Green State and the world famous destination. Beginning in 1995 with green initiatives like the ‘Harit Kranti Varsh’, we have worked tirelessly towards nature’s conservation on regular basis. We have continued the activities under the State Green mission, and efforts are being made to take up the greening of our State in a more systematic and planned manner. A novel initiative in the current year is to earmark a certain percentage of the works outlay of the infrastructure departments for this purpose.
The more recent initiative namely ‘Ten Minutes to Earth’ program was started in 2009. Dedicated to the environmental well being of the State, this campaign has gained immense popularity among all sections of people. Like on all other occasions, plantation drive under this particular program has become very popular among people. This year, on July 25, 2010 that people of Sikkim again planted saplings in large number on turning this event as an annual ritual, as annual festival. This day will be observed every year as green day throughout the State planting yet another lakhs sapling by the people.
It is our movement and responsibility to make Sikkim more beautiful and greener by integrating ecology with economy for posterity. I appeal to all to wholeheartedly support the movement and ensure active participation by planting seedling and saplings this monsoon. We have to make all our natural resources sustainable I call upon the people to fully dedicate and participate in this campaign and make it successful. The issue of environmental conservation should not be viewed within the parameter of containing the process of global warming but should be viewed as a sustainable development and preservation of our Nature for sustained economy, opportunity and creation of employment now and in the days to come.
In order to make eco-tourism the new profession of the 21st century people, we have initiated a multi-pronged strategy to make it a sustainable means of livelihood which includes creation of tourist attraction destinations across the State. You are aware that we have today hosts of new attractions like the 135 feet tall statue of Guru Padmasamvawa at Samdruptse, Char Dham at Solaphok, Buddha Park at Ravangla, statue of chen regiz, underground monastery, Sarva Dharma Sai Mandir at Daramdin, sports like Bungee Jumping for adventure tourism and the proposed Skywalk at Bhaley Dhunga so on and so forth. Plans are also afoot to link up each and every religious centres and institutions in the rural Sikkim for pilgrimage tourism. Sikkim is also all set to play crucial role in the promotion of Buddhist Circuit tourism in the country. The Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation has also recently concluded a joint agreement with Tamil Tourism Development Corporation in Chennai to carry out reciprocal promotion, marketing and tourism related business between the two States.
Sikkim’s natural environment is conducive for large scale production of off-season vegetables along with production of cardamom, mandarin orange, passion fruits and seeds production. Sikkim has been designated as Agri Export Zone with emphasis on production and export of large cardamom, ginger, flower and cherry pepper at the international markets. The State is also promoting organic farming so that by 2009, Sikkim could be transformed an ‘organic state’. Again, the climate of Sikkim is ideal for growth of Cymbidium Orchids, Lillium and Rose bulb and these are produced on a massive scale. The fact that Sikkim provides perfect natural conditions for the growth of these flowers means it can compete internationally in terms of price and quality, thus creating immense possibility and potential for the State. With the recent opening of the first Livelihood School for Organic Farming in Sikkim, the momentum for transforming Sikkim into the total organic State shall received great impetus.
With a whopping hydro-power potential of 8000 MW, Sikkim is all poised to reap hefty economic dividend from this Nature’s bounty. The State Government has taken a bold initiative to judiciously harness the abundant resource potential with regard to hydel energy.
We have, in the pipe-line, as many as 21 hydel power projects which have been entrusted for execution on joint venture between State Government and reputed power producers and the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation. These projects envisage a combined installed generation capacity of 5000 MW. Four projects are targeted to be operational during the XIth Five Year Plan with a projected installed generation capacity of 1900 MWs. The Sikkim Power Development Corporation (SPDC) will also initiate steps to take up projects in partnership with the State Government under the PPP module. In all these ventures, the SPDC and the Government of Sikkim will hold equity of 26% as well as enjoy 12% free power for 15 years which will be enhanced to 15% over the subsequent period till the 35th year of the contractual agreement. Apart from the above arrangements from the PPP contract, the contractual agreement will also yield a fair share of dividend from these projects.
The present generation capacity of 610.70 MWs is particularly contributed by the 510 MW Teesta Stage V Hydel Project as well as the 60 MW Rangeet Hydel project along with several other mini and micro hydel projects which have been commissioned over the recent years.
In addition, the State Government will also install 13 micro hydel power projects in East and North Sikkim with the total generating capacity of 1,070 kw. These sanctioned power projects under the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, shall be unique as they will be run and managed by the local panchayats and local people.
After the successful implementation of 73rd Constitution Amendment, our Government has forged ahead in creating yet another historic milestone with the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections to the urban local bodies in accordance with the 74th Constitutional Amendment. The resounding mandate that our Party received from this election is testimony to the complete faith and confidence the people have in the transparent and democratic people’s Government in the State. The entire election process was peaceful and orderly and for which I would like to extend my appreciation and thanks to all the respected people of Sikkim for their active participation in the electoral process and the State Election Commission for conducting free, fair and peaceful election. The new regime that has emerged in the true spirit of the 74th Constitution Amendment will infuse a more creative input into the developmental scenario of our State.
Democratic decentralization with inclusive and participative governance has been put in place in every panchayat administrative unit throughout the State. With the creation of the Block Administrative Centres, the process of decentralized district planning for every micro unit of administration within the State has been brought into operation. The bottoms-up approach to the planning process involving District level officials and elected representatives of all Gram Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats has now become a reality. As one of our new initiatives, we have also created MLA-Local Area Development Fund to carry out important development works in the respective Constituency.
Unlike in other parts of the country, the rural-urban divide in Sikkim is quickly narrowing down based on the dedicated program like Village Action Plan being prepared by Professor Bernard Dafflon of the Freebourg University under the broad assistance and support of the State Government. The report prepared by Prof. Dafflon is ready which will be released soon as the roadmap for scientific development of village under the eco-city concept.
Respected fellow citizens
The people of Sikkim have widely witnessed the range of development programs we undertook over the last sixteen years. However, our overall goal is to evolve the kind of profession and occupation that suits the 21st century people. Therefore, we have promoted Service Sector as part of the new profession of the Sikkimese people for the new century. And they will be largely based on- (a) organic farming, (b) agro-based industry, (c) tourism and tourism related trades, (e) education, and (f) IT. This is largely based on the elemental truth that not all the literate and educated Sikkimese will get the white-collared jobs in the future. Therefore, sphere of activities under the service sector and the standard of operations should be systematically upgraded and scientifically updated. This will provide our educated youth honourable economic engagement to progress in life as an independent entrepreneur.
Second aspect linked with employment generation is revenue generation aspect to make Sikkim economically self-sufficient. You are aware that we have decided that all development strategies in the State will be based on the huge natural resources and human resource available at our disposal. Accordingly, we have defined our priority areas which include hydro power generation, setting up of clean industry and high-end entertainment trade like online gaming. When all the on-going projects and schemes are fully commissioned Sikkim will have secured a very self-sufficient future for the next 100 years.
This is the ultimate goal of all our development activities. The people of Sikkim will be able to see the ground impact of our efforts by 2015. That would mean, they would be able to see as well as feel the positive result of our programs more explicitly.
While we have entered into the fourth term of governance in the State, we have worked out a comprehensive Mission Statements to further consolidate the solid development gains we have achieved so far and further to bring about all-round, comprehensive and holistic development of State. They include:
Sikkim Poverty Free Mission: Earmarking of 70 percent of plan allocation for development of rural Sikkim has been the most vocal of our commitment. Through multi-pronged strategies, we are slowly but surely marching ahead to achieve this Mission by 2015;
Sikkim Self Reliant Mission: Through effective development and harnessing of human resources and wide range of development potential based on our natural resources, we are committed to make Sikkim a self-reliant State by 2015;
Human Resource Development Mission: Accordingly to India Today well-researched documentation, India ‘has about four crore people registered at its employment exchanges- but only two lakhs get jobs’. That means at the national and international context, issue of employability among our educated masses is a serious challenge. In Sikkim, we have already devised a range of very competitive intervention to equip our educated youth with the right set of skill and technical and technological knowhow as required by sectors across board. We seek to make our human resource fully employable within 2015.
Social Security Mission: This Mission envisages development and adoption of sustainable social safety nets to protect the interest of all sections of the population including the business community.
Total Literate State: We are fully committed to realize this ambitious mission under the Total Literacy Campaign together with strengthening the existing infrastructure and all other policy interventions from time to time.
Healthy Sikkim Mission: In addition to the whole range of incentives under the program, we shall vigorously introduce innovative steps involving both preventive and curative measures encompassing diagnostic facilities for timely detection of ailments covering all age-groups including provision of treatment and rehabilitative health care have been undertaken.
Sikkim as Producer State: Closely associated with this Mission is our call for transforming Sikkim as the first organic state in the country. Our effort has been to attain self sufficiency in food grains and all other commodities which are practically viable under the prevailing climate and atmosphere.
Sikkim Cooperative Mission: The State Government has introduced policy framework and host of incentives to encourage people to work on cooperative basis. We have today a total number of 347 Cooperative Societies registered with 110 in East, 78 in West, 23 in North and 136 in South District. We will further expand the number to the maximum so that the resultant benefit will have an even distribution among all people in the State. We have already notified measures to grant preferential treatment to registered Cooperative Societies in the State in all development works within the State.
Sikkim Green Mission: Beginning with our first official call way back in 1995, we have progressed by leaps and bound in terms of enlarging and safeguarding our green cover in the State. With the launching of various green campaigns including the more recent ‘Ten Minutes to Earth’, we are very close to meeting our goal.
Eco-tourism destination: Widely hailed as the ultimate shangrila, we are favourably placed to harness the unlimited tourism potential of Sikkim. With all the natural endowment including the third highest mountain peak in the world, we need nothing except strong will and a well-defined path. We are already half way through to attain this mission.
Harnessing hydro-power potential: With the whopping 8000 mw of hydel potential, we have already started working towards this direction to tap as much potential to make our State economically strong and self-sufficient. With the additional 1,070 kw under 13 micro hydel power projects, Sikkim has further discovered its hydro-potential.
Complete Decentralization and devolution: The State Government has successfully implemented all the provisions contained in 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts to fully installed public representatives at the grass-root levels and also urban municipalities. Now, with the ultimate earmarking of funds, functions and functionaries to the village level and urban bodies, Sikkim is well progressed to achieve a new milepost in its development.
We have advanced well in all other sectors. What we need now is further consolidation of our achievements so far to make Sikkim a totally developed State.
Respected Sikkimese citizens
As you can see, the SDF Government is pursuing its goal of comprehensive and holistic development in the State in all sincerity and honesty. The range of development activities with all the desired benefits to the people have completely transformed the image of Sikkim as the most happening State in the Country. While we observe this eventful 64th Independence Day of our great Nation, I would like to announce some new and more imaginative socio-economic measures which will provide speed and momentum to our overall effort at fulfilling the many Missions’ goals as indicated above:
To further provide additional marketing facility to our farmers, four Kisan Bazars in four districts shall be constructed followed by seventeen Kisan Bazars at the BDO level in the villages. Likewise, Community Centres, Play Ground and Knowledge Centre shall be developed in each of these centres;
A new Block Administrative Centre shall be established at Machong Parakha where BDO and other functionaries have been already posted;
New BACs in Chumbung-Chakung and Chongrang in West Sikkim, Nandu Gaon Chisopani in South and Martam in East Sikkim shall be established;
I am also pleased to announce opening of State Bank of Sikkim branch office at all the BACs across the State;
The panchayats will issue Trade licenses in their respective jurisdiction;
The Panchayats will appoint Accounts Assistants in their respective units;
We have instituted annual Discretionary Fund for the panchayats for the first time in the State, which is categorized as follow:
(i) Rs. 10,000 for GPU President, Zilla Member and Nagar Panchayat President;
(ii) Rs. 7,000 for Vice President of GPU, Council Member and Nagar Panchayat Vice-President;
(iii) Rs. 6,000 for Secretary of GPU, and
(iv) Rs. 5,000 for GPU Member and Nagar Panchayat Member;
All GPU centres shall be fully computerized;
A new campaign namely Mukhya Mantri Sakhsarta Abhiyan shall be launched within August 2010 in all the GPUs and the urban body centres to fully transform Sikkim into a literate state;
10. Pre-Primary Teachers have been posted in each ward under all GPUs for providing non-formal education to people between the age group between 15 to 70;
11. The ongoing enumeration under the Chief Minister’s Universal Financial Inclusion programme shall be completed within this financial year;
12. We will work vigorously to make Sikkim kutcha house free and slum free and BPL free state by 2015 and earn the first distinction to achieve this feat in the Country;
13. The State Government is also pleased to announce setting up of sub-regional centres at the village level and depute Agriculture Development Officer, Horticulture Development Officer and Veterinary Officer under Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry Departments;
14. The existing VLW centres and Livestock centre shall be further strengthened;
15. During our last terms, we irrigated a total of 9,215 hectares of land; by 2010 an additional 10,000 hectares of land shall be fully irrigated to cover all the cultivable land;
16. The existing monthly Old Age Pension grant of Rs. 400 shall be enhanced to Rs. 600.
17. For the differentially abled persons in the State, the monthly grants of Rs. 500 shall be further enhanced to Rs. 600;
18. The monthly grant under the State Government’s program of Samajit Bhatta of Rs. 500 shall be further enhanced to Rs. 600.
19. Works below Rs. 50 lakhs shall be given to the registered Cooperative Societies for execution falling within a particular GPU. Further, Cooperative Societies shall be given preferential treatment for grant of work amounting to Rs. 2 crores;
20. Sikkim would be the first State in the Country to achieve the distinction of being a Total Organic State. In fact, Sikkim is the first State to work on patent right and organic certification covering the entire State.
21. Of all the political demands, the State Government will continue to pursue with the central government for early resolution of pending issues like granting of tribal status for the remaining ethnic communities in Sikkim; granting of seat reservation for the Limboo and Tamang communities; primitive tribe status for the Lepcha community; and increase in the Sikkim Legislative seats to 40 and 2 parliamentary seats each in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha from the existing 1.
Respected fellow Sikkimese
As we are on our onward march to make our State developed, we are again witness to the usual antics of some motley group of disgruntled political elements in the State. They have again reassembled and resurfaced to pose resistance to the State Government’s pro-poor and people-centric policies and programs. I would like to maintain that to oppose development of a particular area or community is part of a wider conspiracy to destroy the capacity and economic prospects of people. The parties opposed to us can well question us if there is underdevelopment, they can question us if people are miserable for lack of development. They can question us if people are rendered insecure and if peace and security are threatened. However, when the Opposition parties get jittery over the impressive development initiatives with lot of good prospect for people’s future, this is proof enough that they are anti-people and committing crime against the present and future of Sikkim.
Respected citizens,
We as part of the world community are faced with many challenges. Within the Nation, we are fighting war against extremism, terrorism and against the menace of poverty, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. Locally, we have been trying hard to develop enough immunity cover to fully protect our society from these global menaces.
Environmental degradation has worried the world community like never before. More recently, a study carried out by a journal exhorted people to ‘Go bananas and save the world’ and opt for fish over other meat. Traditionally, we grow bananas under the most organic environment. We must cash on this scientific observation. That means bananas and our famed trout fish very much hold that magic to further brighten up life and our economy.
Peace, security, communal harmony is the hallmark of the Sikkimese society. The sacred provision of Secularism as contained in the Preamble to our Constitution has been fully secured and protected in Sikkim. Even with the projected 8.5 % growth rate in 2010-11 and a 9 % growth rate forecasted for 2011-12, internal strife and disturbing elements are creating a war-like situation in many parts of the Country. Therefore, the most immediate and pertinent understanding of development on the whole should be translating statistics into authentic human happiness in the absolute sense. In Sikkim, we are closely monitoring this aspect to ensure that benefits of ongoing development initiatives reach every doorstep duly making our citizens the happiest people in the Country and the world.
Respected fellow citizens, sixteen years of hard work and consistency on our part have resulted in positive results to not only fulfill many issues and demands which were, otherwise, turned down in the past. The lists are many and long including- inclusion of Sikkim as the eighth Member of NEC, reopening of Nathula trade, and recognition of Limboo and Tamang in the list of Scheduled Tribes and establishment of Sikkim Central University. Exception secured for Sikkim Subject Certificate holders and their descendents in the matter of Central Income Tax has helped to ideally recognize the unique identity of the Sikkimese people thereby further fortify the spirit under Article 371F of the Indian Constitution.
Respected fellow citizens
The Sikkim Democratic Front government shall always stand firm to preserve and further promote peace in the State and the region. Over the last sixteen years, we have faced assaults from our opponent on almost all issues. Empowered by the power of the people thus bestowed upon us and harnessing that freedom for all the good cause, we will as usual unravel the sinister design of our adversaries and keep the Sikkimese people secure and protected for all time to come.
On this solemn occasion, I would call upon all the citizens to fully shoulder their social responsibility and contribute towards strengthening the State and the Country. To the members of civil society, I fervently appeal to stand guard against all anti-social elements. Further, we have a total of 38,861 government employees with the best range of salary structure, daily wages- who are sponsored for regular training, refresher course. Ample promotion avenues have been created granting promotions to all employees on a regular basis. I would continue to solicit continued support from them to give justice to our liberal gesture towards the government employees.
While we share this monumental sense of liberation today, we will also exult in the celebration of freedom and continue to work relentlessly and go for what Jawaharlal Nehru would call it ‘incessant striving’ for the sake of Sikkimese society and the Country at large.
I congratulate all my fellow Sikkimese for the freedom they enjoy and the responsibility they assert in the building of strong society. I also send my warm greetings to my respected Sikkimese people and a Very Best Wishes for a happy and prosperous life ahead.
Thank you
Jai hind
Independence Day speech of His Excellency, the Governor of Sikkim.
My Fellow Citizens,
Tomorrow we celebrate our 64th Independence Day. On its eve, I extend my heartiest greetings to all of you.
Our long and arduous struggle for freedom commenced in 1857. This was energized by the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and this was continued till we got freedom. Bapu mobilized the people of India in non-violent struggle against the foreign rule and its scale and depth were unprecedented in history. The freedom movement had the distinction in bringing for the first time the millions of women marching along with their men-folk into the political realm of civil-disobedience and satyagraha. The selfless spirit and indomitable courage of our forefathers secured us freedom. The story of our freedom struggle constitutes one of the unique chapters in world history.
Our leaders of the freedom struggle had also visualized that political freedom is not complete in itself. Together with political freedom what is equally necessary is economic freedom and social equality. This is more pertinent in today’s context as people’s wants and aspirations have become more intricate. Together with rapid development in human thought, all areas of human development have become broader and more inclusive.
Let us join in paying homage and deep respects to our freedom fighters.
I would also like to convey our special gratitude to the brave personnel of the Armed Forces and the Para-Military Forces, who guard our frontiers. I also greet members of Sikkim Police on this occasion.
Fellow Citizens,
Thirty-five years ago, the people of Sikkim decided to join this great nation. Ever since, Sikkim has made rapid strides and meaningful progress, and have achieved many milestones. But we still have formidable challenges ahead. And if we work hard, diligently and honestly it is possible to realize our dream of making Sikkim a fully literate and poverty-free State and more.
Sikkim already has the distinction of experimenting certain successful growth models to diversify development options and provide wide-ranging socio-economic opportunities to our people in terms of their genius. Towards this end, programmes have been designed with appropriate decentralization of decision-making and financial powers to the local bodies in order that location specific decisions are taken and fruits of development reach people at the grass-root level.
Several measures have been taken to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). 10% of the budget is being directly transferred to the Panchayats. Women have been given 40% reservation in the Panchayats and Municipalities at all levels. This year, we have also successfully concluded municipal elections. This would go a long way in empowerment of people in the urban areas.
A great deal of emphasis is being given to upliftment and development of the people living in rural areas. Proper designing of schemes and feasible projects are regularly monitored to ensure that the benefits accruing from these schemes percolate down to the people living in villages. We have achieved some success as well.
The percentage of families living below poverty line is steadily decreasing. For a number of years we have been earmarking 70% of the plan funds for rural upliftment. Similarly, our social commitments continue to guide formulation of a wide range of social safety nets in order to secure basic minimum needs of the deprived and disadvantaged section of the society so that they too have the means to live a dignified life.
Besides our resolve to adopt innovative and socially relevant measures to completely eradicate poverty from Sikkim by 2015, we are also aiming at making Sikkim 100 percent literate State by the same year. This can only be made possible by enrolment of every child, boy or girl, in the school and by ensuring that they do not drop-out till they pass their secondary or higher secondary examinations.
We are also conscious of the fact that we need highly trained and motivated teachers. Quality education not only needs caring leadership of the teachers but also continuous involvement of every parent while child is in formative years. I call upon each one of you to take education of the child with seriousness that it deserves.
In recent years, we have been making sincere efforts to diversify career options for the youth. We have also set up a new Institute of Capacity Building, the first of its kind in this region, to further expand the scope of skill development programmes. We have also established livelihood schools in each Assembly constituency to train our youth in different vocational courses.
Priority is being accorded to the health sector starting with upgradation of the existing facilities and embarking on a plan to build a 575 bedded multi-specialty hospital at Gangtok. The aim is to provide good and affordable medical care to people within the State itself.
One of the recent initiatives has been the launching of Comprehensive Annual Total Check-up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) campaign. Under CATCH, the health profile of each citizen would be recorded. This exercise would also mean upgrading the technical expertise of the doctors including the para-medicals as well as improving the facilities for diagnostic services covering the entire network of our medical centres.
Our aim is to encourage more and more educated and young Sikkimese to take up agriculture, horticulture and floriculture as an industry. We have made notable progress as far as floriculture is concerned. All measures comprising technology transfer, delivery of inputs, pre and post harvest technology and marketing will be systematically organized and judiciously harnessed for better productivity.
All of us, including the Government of India and the State Government, are actuated by strong desire to secure reliable connectivity links for Sikkim . Towards this end, there is an imperative requirement to have all-weather roads connecting hills with the plains; a railway line linking us with Siliguri; an airport; and the internet link covering the entire State.
We have made commendable progress in rural electrification and drinking water supply. All villages in the State are being connected with roads.
The Border Roads Organization has initiated the process of improving and double-lanning the National Highway 31A right up-to Nathula.
The work on survey of the alternative road route from Siliguri via Chalsa in West Bengal to Gangtok will also be taken up as soon as the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is prepared.
The construction of the Pakyong airport is making steady progress and would be operational by 2012.
The work on railway connectivity from Sevoke to Rangpo started recently and is due for completion by 2015.
The telecommunication network including the Internet service is being strengthened with the installation of high capacity equipments.
Sikkim is an eco-friendly State, rich in natural resources and scenic beauty with its unique ethnic diversity. Since 1994, the efforts of the people and the Government have accomplished increase in the forest cover of the State by two percent which is an impressive achievement by any standard. This year, during ten minutes to earth programme, the Sikkimese people acting in unison planted over 6, 20,000 saplings at different places in the State. This is in itself a commendable collective effort and one of the ways to address widely shared concerns of global warming.
Collective efforts and cooperation of all the people of Sikkim are also needed to make the fifteenth census to be conducted in 2011 a grand success.
Sikkim is increasingly becoming an alluring State. More and more people are thronging to Sikkim to experience its enchanting beauty and hospitality. Our natural scenic beauty with a breath taking collection of flora and fauna, our monasteries and stupas, temples and prayer centres, our rich cultural heritage and hospitable nature of our people have immensely contributed to promotion of the tourism industry.
Our efforts towards harnessing the potential in the eco-tourism and adventure tourism sectors have begun to yield dividends. This has opened new opportunities in both salaried jobs and self-employment. I hope the young boys and girls of Sikkim would take full advantage of this prime area of economic activity developing in the State. Let us secure a respectable place for Sikkim in the tourism map of the world.
Fellow Citizens,
Freedom and Democracy are our precious possessions. Democracy in a pluralist social order is a special feature of India . Democracy has to go beyond the ballot box as it needs to be concerned with and guided by continuous ‘exercise of public reason’. Fortunately, the pillars of our democracy: the Legislature, the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Media are getting increasingly sensitized to public needs. Right to information and livelihood programmes are further strengthening people’s will to exercise their responsibilities in democracy. We hope that the civil society, the media and the judiciary will act in harmony to help secure fulfillment of the aspirations of the people.
Sikkim is a peaceful and investor-friendly State. And I take this opportunity to urge entrepreneurs within and outside the State to come forward and make investment in Sikkim .
Sikkim is making impressive expansion in human capability of our youth through education and technology. Our State has shown a remarkable capacity to assimilate new ideas. Let us not allow evils of drug abuse and extremist behaviour to jeopardize our peace and harmony. A strong, united, peaceful and progressive Sikkim is in our interest and in the interest of India .
I once again express my best wishes to the people of the State on this happy and auspicious occasion.
J A I H I N D
My Fellow Citizens,
Tomorrow we celebrate our 64th Independence Day. On its eve, I extend my heartiest greetings to all of you.
Our long and arduous struggle for freedom commenced in 1857. This was energized by the inspiring leadership of Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and this was continued till we got freedom. Bapu mobilized the people of India in non-violent struggle against the foreign rule and its scale and depth were unprecedented in history. The freedom movement had the distinction in bringing for the first time the millions of women marching along with their men-folk into the political realm of civil-disobedience and satyagraha. The selfless spirit and indomitable courage of our forefathers secured us freedom. The story of our freedom struggle constitutes one of the unique chapters in world history.
Our leaders of the freedom struggle had also visualized that political freedom is not complete in itself. Together with political freedom what is equally necessary is economic freedom and social equality. This is more pertinent in today’s context as people’s wants and aspirations have become more intricate. Together with rapid development in human thought, all areas of human development have become broader and more inclusive.
Let us join in paying homage and deep respects to our freedom fighters.
I would also like to convey our special gratitude to the brave personnel of the Armed Forces and the Para-Military Forces, who guard our frontiers. I also greet members of Sikkim Police on this occasion.
Fellow Citizens,
Thirty-five years ago, the people of Sikkim decided to join this great nation. Ever since, Sikkim has made rapid strides and meaningful progress, and have achieved many milestones. But we still have formidable challenges ahead. And if we work hard, diligently and honestly it is possible to realize our dream of making Sikkim a fully literate and poverty-free State and more.
Sikkim already has the distinction of experimenting certain successful growth models to diversify development options and provide wide-ranging socio-economic opportunities to our people in terms of their genius. Towards this end, programmes have been designed with appropriate decentralization of decision-making and financial powers to the local bodies in order that location specific decisions are taken and fruits of development reach people at the grass-root level.
Several measures have been taken to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). 10% of the budget is being directly transferred to the Panchayats. Women have been given 40% reservation in the Panchayats and Municipalities at all levels. This year, we have also successfully concluded municipal elections. This would go a long way in empowerment of people in the urban areas.
A great deal of emphasis is being given to upliftment and development of the people living in rural areas. Proper designing of schemes and feasible projects are regularly monitored to ensure that the benefits accruing from these schemes percolate down to the people living in villages. We have achieved some success as well.
The percentage of families living below poverty line is steadily decreasing. For a number of years we have been earmarking 70% of the plan funds for rural upliftment. Similarly, our social commitments continue to guide formulation of a wide range of social safety nets in order to secure basic minimum needs of the deprived and disadvantaged section of the society so that they too have the means to live a dignified life.
Besides our resolve to adopt innovative and socially relevant measures to completely eradicate poverty from Sikkim by 2015, we are also aiming at making Sikkim 100 percent literate State by the same year. This can only be made possible by enrolment of every child, boy or girl, in the school and by ensuring that they do not drop-out till they pass their secondary or higher secondary examinations.
We are also conscious of the fact that we need highly trained and motivated teachers. Quality education not only needs caring leadership of the teachers but also continuous involvement of every parent while child is in formative years. I call upon each one of you to take education of the child with seriousness that it deserves.
In recent years, we have been making sincere efforts to diversify career options for the youth. We have also set up a new Institute of Capacity Building, the first of its kind in this region, to further expand the scope of skill development programmes. We have also established livelihood schools in each Assembly constituency to train our youth in different vocational courses.
Priority is being accorded to the health sector starting with upgradation of the existing facilities and embarking on a plan to build a 575 bedded multi-specialty hospital at Gangtok. The aim is to provide good and affordable medical care to people within the State itself.
One of the recent initiatives has been the launching of Comprehensive Annual Total Check-up for Healthy Sikkim (CATCH) campaign. Under CATCH, the health profile of each citizen would be recorded. This exercise would also mean upgrading the technical expertise of the doctors including the para-medicals as well as improving the facilities for diagnostic services covering the entire network of our medical centres.
Our aim is to encourage more and more educated and young Sikkimese to take up agriculture, horticulture and floriculture as an industry. We have made notable progress as far as floriculture is concerned. All measures comprising technology transfer, delivery of inputs, pre and post harvest technology and marketing will be systematically organized and judiciously harnessed for better productivity.
All of us, including the Government of India and the State Government, are actuated by strong desire to secure reliable connectivity links for Sikkim . Towards this end, there is an imperative requirement to have all-weather roads connecting hills with the plains; a railway line linking us with Siliguri; an airport; and the internet link covering the entire State.
We have made commendable progress in rural electrification and drinking water supply. All villages in the State are being connected with roads.
The Border Roads Organization has initiated the process of improving and double-lanning the National Highway 31A right up-to Nathula.
The work on survey of the alternative road route from Siliguri via Chalsa in West Bengal to Gangtok will also be taken up as soon as the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is prepared.
The construction of the Pakyong airport is making steady progress and would be operational by 2012.
The work on railway connectivity from Sevoke to Rangpo started recently and is due for completion by 2015.
The telecommunication network including the Internet service is being strengthened with the installation of high capacity equipments.
Sikkim is an eco-friendly State, rich in natural resources and scenic beauty with its unique ethnic diversity. Since 1994, the efforts of the people and the Government have accomplished increase in the forest cover of the State by two percent which is an impressive achievement by any standard. This year, during ten minutes to earth programme, the Sikkimese people acting in unison planted over 6, 20,000 saplings at different places in the State. This is in itself a commendable collective effort and one of the ways to address widely shared concerns of global warming.
Collective efforts and cooperation of all the people of Sikkim are also needed to make the fifteenth census to be conducted in 2011 a grand success.
Sikkim is increasingly becoming an alluring State. More and more people are thronging to Sikkim to experience its enchanting beauty and hospitality. Our natural scenic beauty with a breath taking collection of flora and fauna, our monasteries and stupas, temples and prayer centres, our rich cultural heritage and hospitable nature of our people have immensely contributed to promotion of the tourism industry.
Our efforts towards harnessing the potential in the eco-tourism and adventure tourism sectors have begun to yield dividends. This has opened new opportunities in both salaried jobs and self-employment. I hope the young boys and girls of Sikkim would take full advantage of this prime area of economic activity developing in the State. Let us secure a respectable place for Sikkim in the tourism map of the world.
Fellow Citizens,
Freedom and Democracy are our precious possessions. Democracy in a pluralist social order is a special feature of India . Democracy has to go beyond the ballot box as it needs to be concerned with and guided by continuous ‘exercise of public reason’. Fortunately, the pillars of our democracy: the Legislature, the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Media are getting increasingly sensitized to public needs. Right to information and livelihood programmes are further strengthening people’s will to exercise their responsibilities in democracy. We hope that the civil society, the media and the judiciary will act in harmony to help secure fulfillment of the aspirations of the people.
Sikkim is a peaceful and investor-friendly State. And I take this opportunity to urge entrepreneurs within and outside the State to come forward and make investment in Sikkim .
Sikkim is making impressive expansion in human capability of our youth through education and technology. Our State has shown a remarkable capacity to assimilate new ideas. Let us not allow evils of drug abuse and extremist behaviour to jeopardize our peace and harmony. A strong, united, peaceful and progressive Sikkim is in our interest and in the interest of India .
I once again express my best wishes to the people of the State on this happy and auspicious occasion.
J A I H I N D
The birth of a free nation also saw the birth of new enterprises
Indian enterprise is widely recognized as one of our great strengths--a point often made by Tarun Khanna and Yasheng Huang of Harvard Business School in their studies on India versus China.
What is less recognized is the way the nature of Indian business activity has changed in waves of creative destruction. The Indian business class was dominated by trading and mercantile interests at the dawn of freedom.
Even as the Nehru government built the temples of modern India, the Indian business class moved beyond its origins in trade and developed manufacturing skills.
Indian companies are now building global scale and going global. And it is time for yet another change--they have to become innovation powerhouses so that ideas from India melt into the idea of India.
Indian enterprise is widely recognized as one of our great strengths--a point often made by Tarun Khanna and Yasheng Huang of Harvard Business School in their studies on India versus China.
What is less recognized is the way the nature of Indian business activity has changed in waves of creative destruction. The Indian business class was dominated by trading and mercantile interests at the dawn of freedom.
Even as the Nehru government built the temples of modern India, the Indian business class moved beyond its origins in trade and developed manufacturing skills.
Indian companies are now building global scale and going global. And it is time for yet another change--they have to become innovation powerhouses so that ideas from India melt into the idea of India.
A Red-letter day
(The Hindu's editorial on India's independence that was published on August 15, 1947.)
BY the grace of Providence India enters the comity of free nations to-day, an equal among equals. It is an occasion for rejoicing not only for her people but for all who value human freedom as an end in itself. So long as this country with her hoary civilisation and many-sided culture, her wealth of resources and matchless opulence of spirit remained in political bondage, that very fact constituted an implicit denial of those values to which the dominant nations of the West were wont to pay lip service. That India has at long last achieved her independence by agreement with Great Britain is a fact for which the sagacity and statesmanship of Britain is entitled to the fullest credit. Other imperial Powers are bound to follow in her footsteps sooner or later; for the heart has gone out of Imperialism. The harrowing experience of two wars within a single generation is to a large extent responsible for this awakening among the ruling Powers. But the way in which the people of India have conducted their struggle for emancipation has not been without its influence in bringing about a change in the world outlook. The outstanding marvel of this century is the faith inspired in millions of people that truth may prevail, unbacked though it be by the big battalions,, that you may win over your adversary by putting him on his honour, relying on his good faith and appealing to his reason. By imbuing his countrymen with this faith and sustaining it through the long night-of darkness and despair Mahatma Gandhi has not only won for himself a secure place in our affections; he has placed all humanity in his debt. To him and to the countless men and women who sacrificed themselves cheerfully that others might live to breathe the ampler air of freedom, our hearts turn to-day in reverent homage.
We have achieved freedom; But at what cost! A country and a people that by every test are a unity have been arbitrarily divided. And the wound will take long to heal; for, as Mr. Nehru has sadly remarked, "division has taken place in the hearts of the people of India". But it is idle to brood over what has happened and foolish to get angry and cast about for scapegoats. Many think that there is bound to be a reunion when there has been time enough for people to reflect coolly on the disastrous consequences of this unnatural partition. That is as it may be. But those who are perpetually harping on it, whether from genuine distress or in a fractious spirit, will not be hastening that consummation. It can only act as an irritant. The temptation for the protagonists of a united India and of Pakistan to talk at each other from a distance should be set aside. And both sides should concentrate on the thousand and one practical tasks that will have to be tackled in a spirit of mutual accommodation if life is not to be unnecessarily hard for large masses of men. The responsible leaders have shown a praiseworthy desire to conciliate the minorities and to reassure them. But so long as Lahore, Calcutta, and other big cities remain in the grip of madmen drunk with blood and the civil power stands helpless in the face of organised murder and loot, it is idle to expect the minority communities to be satisfied with verbal assurances however ample. From today the responsibility for ending this disgraceful state of affairs is solely ours. Neither the Government of India nor that of Pakistan must overlook the fact that our new-won freedom is itself gravely menaced by this chronic lawlessness. Every effort should, of course, be made to rally the vast majority of peaceable citizens in support of law and order. But the long arm of the law should be not less ready to collar and swift to punish the malfactors however deeply they might be entrenched.
We have won freedom. And the first thing our people must learn is that it is no picnic. They will have to gird their loins and work as they have never worked before. Any number of paper plans will not usher in the millennium if we go on interminably arguing their relative merits. The consensus of instructed opinion in the country is that our urgent need is to increase production. Dr. John Matthai. in stressing the other day the fact that the redressing of the present gross inequality in distribution is no less essential, was no doubt applying a healthy corrective. But, while admitting this, we would point out that there is some risk in envisaging the pursuit of economic equality in terms of a struggle. Dr. Matthai argued that like all national movements for freedom ours too, has had to lean heavily on vested interests and the latter have taken the fullest advantage of this; and that a determined effort should now be made to shake off this strangle-hold and this could be done, and the energy released by the achievement of freedom could be best utilised by casting vested interests for the role of enemy as we cast British Imperialism for that role till the other day. Dr. Matthai was, we are sure, merely using picturesque language to emphasise his point. But there is a danger in simplifying these things, especially with a people who are still novices in the art of political democracy. We have to deal, not with lifeless things that stay put, but with a dynamic situation which changes under our very eyes. Those who led the fight for freedom yesterday may themselves come to be regarded as vested interests by their self-styled successors of to-day who claim to lead the struggle for economic equality. In act, the epidemic of strikes that has broken out in many key-industries and that is further impoverishing an economy that is already dangerously on the verge of collapse, is often sought to be justified on the ground that the bourgeois leaders are in league with the capitalists. If these ideological recriminations are given their head, we must bid farewell to all hopes of a united drive for maximising production and for opening up new and fruitful fields of economic activity.
Having pinned our faith to the method of peaceful persuasion in our struggle for emancipation it would ill become us to look upon the coercive exercise of the State power as the inevitable instrument for building up a strong and well-knit nation. Among us, as in other parts of the world, there are bound to be wide differences of opinion as to the objectives of State policy. All rational men aim at the good life as the goal of the State; but. though there is general agreement in regard to the material conditions which the term implies, there are considerable differences of opinion over the spiritual values which are no less essential to the good life, such imponderables, among others, as freedom of thought itself. Far from regarding it as necessary in the interests of the public welfare to steam-roller opinion at the behest of a dominant clique, our age-long tradition, to which totalitarian tyranny is profoundly repugnant, has always favoured the allowing of the maximum liberty to people to live their Own lives without denying others their due. If we are to be true to our own best impulses we should depend on education rather than legislation, on the catalytic action of creative thought and not on mass agitation and crude propaganda, to bring about those changes which may be necessary to eliminate poverty, wretchedness and strife and to enable every citizen of free India to attain to fullness of life and that inner freedom which the Vedic seers termed Swaaraajya
(The Hindu's editorial on India's independence that was published on August 15, 1947.)
BY the grace of Providence India enters the comity of free nations to-day, an equal among equals. It is an occasion for rejoicing not only for her people but for all who value human freedom as an end in itself. So long as this country with her hoary civilisation and many-sided culture, her wealth of resources and matchless opulence of spirit remained in political bondage, that very fact constituted an implicit denial of those values to which the dominant nations of the West were wont to pay lip service. That India has at long last achieved her independence by agreement with Great Britain is a fact for which the sagacity and statesmanship of Britain is entitled to the fullest credit. Other imperial Powers are bound to follow in her footsteps sooner or later; for the heart has gone out of Imperialism. The harrowing experience of two wars within a single generation is to a large extent responsible for this awakening among the ruling Powers. But the way in which the people of India have conducted their struggle for emancipation has not been without its influence in bringing about a change in the world outlook. The outstanding marvel of this century is the faith inspired in millions of people that truth may prevail, unbacked though it be by the big battalions,, that you may win over your adversary by putting him on his honour, relying on his good faith and appealing to his reason. By imbuing his countrymen with this faith and sustaining it through the long night-of darkness and despair Mahatma Gandhi has not only won for himself a secure place in our affections; he has placed all humanity in his debt. To him and to the countless men and women who sacrificed themselves cheerfully that others might live to breathe the ampler air of freedom, our hearts turn to-day in reverent homage.
We have achieved freedom; But at what cost! A country and a people that by every test are a unity have been arbitrarily divided. And the wound will take long to heal; for, as Mr. Nehru has sadly remarked, "division has taken place in the hearts of the people of India". But it is idle to brood over what has happened and foolish to get angry and cast about for scapegoats. Many think that there is bound to be a reunion when there has been time enough for people to reflect coolly on the disastrous consequences of this unnatural partition. That is as it may be. But those who are perpetually harping on it, whether from genuine distress or in a fractious spirit, will not be hastening that consummation. It can only act as an irritant. The temptation for the protagonists of a united India and of Pakistan to talk at each other from a distance should be set aside. And both sides should concentrate on the thousand and one practical tasks that will have to be tackled in a spirit of mutual accommodation if life is not to be unnecessarily hard for large masses of men. The responsible leaders have shown a praiseworthy desire to conciliate the minorities and to reassure them. But so long as Lahore, Calcutta, and other big cities remain in the grip of madmen drunk with blood and the civil power stands helpless in the face of organised murder and loot, it is idle to expect the minority communities to be satisfied with verbal assurances however ample. From today the responsibility for ending this disgraceful state of affairs is solely ours. Neither the Government of India nor that of Pakistan must overlook the fact that our new-won freedom is itself gravely menaced by this chronic lawlessness. Every effort should, of course, be made to rally the vast majority of peaceable citizens in support of law and order. But the long arm of the law should be not less ready to collar and swift to punish the malfactors however deeply they might be entrenched.
We have won freedom. And the first thing our people must learn is that it is no picnic. They will have to gird their loins and work as they have never worked before. Any number of paper plans will not usher in the millennium if we go on interminably arguing their relative merits. The consensus of instructed opinion in the country is that our urgent need is to increase production. Dr. John Matthai. in stressing the other day the fact that the redressing of the present gross inequality in distribution is no less essential, was no doubt applying a healthy corrective. But, while admitting this, we would point out that there is some risk in envisaging the pursuit of economic equality in terms of a struggle. Dr. Matthai argued that like all national movements for freedom ours too, has had to lean heavily on vested interests and the latter have taken the fullest advantage of this; and that a determined effort should now be made to shake off this strangle-hold and this could be done, and the energy released by the achievement of freedom could be best utilised by casting vested interests for the role of enemy as we cast British Imperialism for that role till the other day. Dr. Matthai was, we are sure, merely using picturesque language to emphasise his point. But there is a danger in simplifying these things, especially with a people who are still novices in the art of political democracy. We have to deal, not with lifeless things that stay put, but with a dynamic situation which changes under our very eyes. Those who led the fight for freedom yesterday may themselves come to be regarded as vested interests by their self-styled successors of to-day who claim to lead the struggle for economic equality. In act, the epidemic of strikes that has broken out in many key-industries and that is further impoverishing an economy that is already dangerously on the verge of collapse, is often sought to be justified on the ground that the bourgeois leaders are in league with the capitalists. If these ideological recriminations are given their head, we must bid farewell to all hopes of a united drive for maximising production and for opening up new and fruitful fields of economic activity.
Having pinned our faith to the method of peaceful persuasion in our struggle for emancipation it would ill become us to look upon the coercive exercise of the State power as the inevitable instrument for building up a strong and well-knit nation. Among us, as in other parts of the world, there are bound to be wide differences of opinion as to the objectives of State policy. All rational men aim at the good life as the goal of the State; but. though there is general agreement in regard to the material conditions which the term implies, there are considerable differences of opinion over the spiritual values which are no less essential to the good life, such imponderables, among others, as freedom of thought itself. Far from regarding it as necessary in the interests of the public welfare to steam-roller opinion at the behest of a dominant clique, our age-long tradition, to which totalitarian tyranny is profoundly repugnant, has always favoured the allowing of the maximum liberty to people to live their Own lives without denying others their due. If we are to be true to our own best impulses we should depend on education rather than legislation, on the catalytic action of creative thought and not on mass agitation and crude propaganda, to bring about those changes which may be necessary to eliminate poverty, wretchedness and strife and to enable every citizen of free India to attain to fullness of life and that inner freedom which the Vedic seers termed Swaaraajya
THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE.
THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE.
Her Excellency Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil on the eve of the 64th Independence Day
My Fellow Citizens,
On the eve of our 64th Independence Day, I extend my warmest greetings to all of you from all walks of life, living in India and overseas. I convey special greetings to the brave personnel of our Armed Forces and the Para-military forces who guard our frontiers and to our Central and State police, as well as our internal security forces. I also compliment every citizen of this country whose hard work, productive prowess and enterprising zeal have put India among the front ranks of the nations of the world. I convey my heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones, suffered injuries and whose properties have been destroyed in the recent cloud burst in Leh.
Dear Citizens,
Every year, we celebrate our Independence Day with great fervor as well as joy and justifiably so, as it commemorates that day, when after many years of subjugation, our country gained its freedom. Indeed, in the annals of history, 15th of August 1947 will always be remembered as a day of an extraordinary accomplishment, of when India won its freedom with unparalleled fortitude and unique means. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, our movement for attaining freedom through Ahimsa and Satyagraha spread throughout the country, inspiring people in a manner rarely seen. Millions and millions of our men and women, willingly and enthusiastically responded to his call. They united to become an immense force that defeated the mightiest colonial power. Free India, was thus born.
As citizens of free India, we must reflect on the values and principles which were in the minds and hearts of those who fought and sacrificed for our freedom. They drew inspiration from the values nurtured in the country through millennia. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once described Gandhiji as, “embodying the old spirit of India, who held aloft the torch of freedom”. Gandhiji’s thoughts and his life were truly an expression of the philosophy of our ancient civilization in which peace and harmony, non-violence and truth, human dignity and compassion were given great prominence. Are we now forgetting these principles? Are we overlooking them? No, we should not. These are eternal values, which have sustained our nation, our society and also each one of us as individuals. Gandhiji’s thinking continues to have deep influence and is of increasing relevance in the world, with 2nd October, his birthday, being observed every year as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Dear Citizens,
We are at a historic phase when the world is shifting course. It is impacting our economy, polity, trade, commerce, education and pace of life. In this era of transformation, India definitely cannot lag behind. Our entire effort must be to ensure that there is overall development in which all people prosper. However, can our political approaches, economic progress and scientific advances be combined with values of human welfare, tolerance, mutual respect and selflessness propounded by learned men, leaders, philosophers and thinkers of our country? Our past and our future are linked. The future beckons us and the past guides us.
What has been our past? India, a mature and a harmonious society, had a rich tradition of learning and a philosophy based on experiences and knowledge of thousands of years. Swami Vivekananda spoke of India as, “the ancient land, where wisdom made its home before it went into any other country”. Ours is a land where religions have taken birth and all religions of the world have found a place. Ours is a land where different languages, cultures and customs flourished. So well known was India for its piety, scholarship and centres of study, that it attracted travellers from across the world. From early times, India always looked at progress and moral growth as mutually inclusive rather than mutually exclusive concepts. India’s depth of thought was matched by its material prosperity. Its fine goods, its spices, its silk, its cotton, were much sought after. India’s traders went to distant lands both to the East and the West, carrying with them not only goods from India, but also its reputation as a land of great culture and wealth.
We are the inheritors of this great civilization whose legacy has been passed on from generation to generation. We can be worthy heirs if we follow, in the true sense, the ideals of political, social and economic justice. Lip service will not do. We have to be ardent adherents. We are also duty-bound to pass on this rich inheritance to our younger generation - the 540 million youth. We place great hope on them and rightly so. They have been demonstrating their capabilities and strengths in various fields of human activity in India and abroad. Whether in multi-national business enterprises or the IT industry or financial organizations or global scientific bodies, young Indians are joining their ranks and making their mark. In sports, they have been bringing laurels to the country. Our youth are the architects of the nation’s future. We must educate them and inculcate in them a spirit of sacrifice, dedication, patriotism and service to the nation. This way, they would be ready to face the future with confidence and build on the achievements made so far.
Dear Citizens,
Where does our country stand today? Our credentials as the world’s largest democracy have been further reinforced with the deepening of democracy at all levels. We have elected bodies existing from the national to the grassroot level. Democracy has given citizens the right to participate in the affairs of the nation. It has become a way of life in India. On the economic front, we are ranked as the world’s fourth largest economy based on purchasing power parity and one of the fastest growing. The resilience of our economy was evident during the global financial crisis which we weathered, better than many other countries. The future holds great potential and promise. However, many issues demand attention and the way we address them is important.
Foremost, among our tasks is to ensure the welfare of all. It is for this reason that India has adopted inclusive growth as a pillar of its economic edifice and is pro-actively pursuing it. Our task will be complete only when no one sleeps on a hungry stomach, when no one sleeps on the footpath and when every child is in school. Therefore, fittingly, education, capacity building, housing, healthcare and nutrition are a priority on the agenda of the Government. All of us should also pause to think how as responsible citizens, each one of us can contribute to Government efforts in these areas. It is a huge task to be achieved for a billion plus population, but we should not be overwhelmed. In every village and in every colony of every town, city or metropolis, people can come forward to form groups to work for the disadvantaged. Some amongst us may ask, what difference can these small efforts make? For them, I recall a story of a man walking down a beach, moments after a storm. He noticed a person ahead of him picking up starfish washed ashore and throwing them back into the sea. He asked the person how his efforts could make any difference, as the beach was long and there were lakhs of starfish washed ashore who would die. The person looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it into the water saying, "it makes a difference to this one". The message is clear - every effort, big or small, does make a difference.
Dear Citizens,
I believe that empowerment through education is important as it opens many doors of opportunity. The Right to Education Act has made free and compulsory primary education for children a fundamental right. It is important that secondary education is also universalized, as we seek to increase enrollment levels in higher education. This will provide the “brain power” for the nation. We are living in an age where innovation is shaping many areas of human activity. New technologies can enhance our agriculture and industrial productivity. Efficient technologies can facilitate the optimum utilization of capital, labour and resources. We have seen the impact of mobile telephone connectivity even in our villages. Innovation and invention were always given weightage as agents of change but perhaps never as high as now. The categorization of nations as rich and poor, developed and developing may well be overtaken by a new definition of those nations that innovate rapidly, as opposed to those which do so on a lower scale. To be in the forefront of cutting edge technologies, research and development in all fields must be encouraged and pursued in the country.
We must also speed up the construction of physical infrastructure. We need new roads, ports, airports, power projects as well as reinforcement of existing facilities. The augmentation will fill the infrastructural deficit that impedes overall economic growth and is, in many ways, out of sync with our image of an emerging global player.
Our industries must continue to grow. Indian companies should persist with efforts to be efficient and globally competitive. Some are already making their presence felt overseas. Our agriculture requires a fresh perspective, with new and radical ideas to steer it towards a second Green Revolution, so that agriculture production, productivity and profitability are increased. This is essential for our food security as well as price stabilization. At the same time, agriculture cannot be looked at in isolation. It needs to be connected with other sectors of the economy. Linking industry with agriculture would provide a basis for growth of industry in the rural areas and also promote agriculture business. Models of farming which give economies of scale, while protecting the interests of the farmer must be explored. Efficient distribution networks that link farmers with the consumers should be encouraged, so as to bring greater remuneration to farmers for their produce, while giving a price advantage to the consumer. Value addition on-site will generate employment and income opportunities for the local population. Support to the rural poor and farm labour through skill development, vocational training and social welfare programmes, must be a priority. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is an important mechanism for providing livelihood. If specific local conditions are taken into account in its implementation and innovative approaches for convergence of various Government schemes encouraged, rural growth will be greatly enhanced. For example, agricultural productivity in rain fed areas can be increased with improved farm practices as well as conservation of soil and water, with the construction of farm ponds and village tanks and their proper upkeep and de-silting. Undertaking such activities in a coordinated manner can make a meaningful difference.
However, achievement of goals and targets is dependent on an effective governance structure. Powers have been given to those in Government for formulating policies and for implementation on the field. It should always be remembered that this power must be used in a responsible manner. Zero tolerance towards corruption and working with the highest standards of public service will definitely result in efficient governance systems and will have a multiplier effect on development and growth.
Dear Citizens,
We must be law abiding and also work for moral upliftment. I mention this because with an increasing emphasis on materialism, there is growing insensitivity towards each other. Strong family bonds are weakening. Social consciousness is on the decline. Some social evils persist. This must change. Today is the best opportunity when ground-breaking achievements alongwith a moral and ethical renaissance can take place. In this way, progress would be
anchored in values of compassion, tolerance and selfless service, which are important for making human life meaningful and purposeful. These values will make our multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual society more robust. They will also give us a strong base on which a stable structure of prosperity and progress can be raised. For example, as a kite surges high into the sky, it is affected by the breeze and the clouds. If the string is firm and skillfully handled, the kite will stay afloat, otherwise it can go adrift, be cut off, fall and be destroyed. The kite is much like our growth voyage with the string and the firmness with which it is handled, representing the ethical base. India is the abode of infinite values – let us strive to restore these as we go along the path of progress.
Tomorrow’s India will be constructed by the hard work of today. I call on all citizens to contribute to making the future of the nation, stronger and brighter. Let everyone understand their role and responsibility to achieve this. As I said earlier, every effort counts. Nation building demands the ability to work diligently and patiently, where the reward is the growth of the nation rather than personal promotion. It requires unity of purpose and the ability to focus on issues which unite. It requires a spirit of conciliation. This is possible when dialogue is chosen as the channel for communication. By listening to each other, respecting each other’s viewpoint and understanding one another, we can address issues before us. The proponents of extreme ideologies and the followers of Left Wing Extremism must abandon their path of violence. I call on them to join national efforts for growth and development. I hope that everybody, including the civil society will come forward and move them in this direction. Protracted development efforts will be needed in these areas.
Dear Citizens,
India’s growth and progress will take place in an environment that is also influenced by global events. We believe that peace is essential, if prosperity is to be achieved. Terrorism poses the biggest threat to global peace, stability and security. To defeat it, all nations of the world must work collectively, so that terrorists have no sanctuaries, no training grounds, no access to financial resources, no infrastructural support, and no defenders of their ideology. Violence and hatred can have no place in the world. Indeed, the interests that we share as human beings are far more powerful than forces which are divisive. Across the world, the message of peace and not of destruction must
spread, if this Century powered by the most rapid advances in science and technology, is to be the Century of the most spectacular gains made by humankind, accompanied with human values. I am confident that India will contribute substantially to the forward march of the human race.
The human spirit has a tremendous capacity to reach new horizons. With faith in ourselves, faith in our capacity to work together and faith in success, we will continue our journey. We have the talent, to create a great nation; and with our collective will and hard work we will do so. And as we progress and as our flag proudly flutters, like it will tomorrow on Independence Day, we can with pride cite the lines of a well known Indian poet,
MÉMÉxÉ-MÉMÉxÉ iÉä®úÉ ªÉ„É ¡ò½þ®úÉ *
{É´ÉxÉ-{É´ÉxÉ iÉä®úÉ ¤É±É Mɽþ®úÉ *
Which means:-
Across the skies your fame has spread,
with every breeze your strength grows.
With these words, I once again wish all Fellow Citizens peace, prosperity and progress on the occasion of Independence Day.
Jai Hind.”
*****
AKT/AD/HS/SH/LV/SKS/VK/RK
Her Excellency Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil on the eve of the 64th Independence Day
My Fellow Citizens,
On the eve of our 64th Independence Day, I extend my warmest greetings to all of you from all walks of life, living in India and overseas. I convey special greetings to the brave personnel of our Armed Forces and the Para-military forces who guard our frontiers and to our Central and State police, as well as our internal security forces. I also compliment every citizen of this country whose hard work, productive prowess and enterprising zeal have put India among the front ranks of the nations of the world. I convey my heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones, suffered injuries and whose properties have been destroyed in the recent cloud burst in Leh.
Dear Citizens,
Every year, we celebrate our Independence Day with great fervor as well as joy and justifiably so, as it commemorates that day, when after many years of subjugation, our country gained its freedom. Indeed, in the annals of history, 15th of August 1947 will always be remembered as a day of an extraordinary accomplishment, of when India won its freedom with unparalleled fortitude and unique means. Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, our movement for attaining freedom through Ahimsa and Satyagraha spread throughout the country, inspiring people in a manner rarely seen. Millions and millions of our men and women, willingly and enthusiastically responded to his call. They united to become an immense force that defeated the mightiest colonial power. Free India, was thus born.
As citizens of free India, we must reflect on the values and principles which were in the minds and hearts of those who fought and sacrificed for our freedom. They drew inspiration from the values nurtured in the country through millennia. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once described Gandhiji as, “embodying the old spirit of India, who held aloft the torch of freedom”. Gandhiji’s thoughts and his life were truly an expression of the philosophy of our ancient civilization in which peace and harmony, non-violence and truth, human dignity and compassion were given great prominence. Are we now forgetting these principles? Are we overlooking them? No, we should not. These are eternal values, which have sustained our nation, our society and also each one of us as individuals. Gandhiji’s thinking continues to have deep influence and is of increasing relevance in the world, with 2nd October, his birthday, being observed every year as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Dear Citizens,
We are at a historic phase when the world is shifting course. It is impacting our economy, polity, trade, commerce, education and pace of life. In this era of transformation, India definitely cannot lag behind. Our entire effort must be to ensure that there is overall development in which all people prosper. However, can our political approaches, economic progress and scientific advances be combined with values of human welfare, tolerance, mutual respect and selflessness propounded by learned men, leaders, philosophers and thinkers of our country? Our past and our future are linked. The future beckons us and the past guides us.
What has been our past? India, a mature and a harmonious society, had a rich tradition of learning and a philosophy based on experiences and knowledge of thousands of years. Swami Vivekananda spoke of India as, “the ancient land, where wisdom made its home before it went into any other country”. Ours is a land where religions have taken birth and all religions of the world have found a place. Ours is a land where different languages, cultures and customs flourished. So well known was India for its piety, scholarship and centres of study, that it attracted travellers from across the world. From early times, India always looked at progress and moral growth as mutually inclusive rather than mutually exclusive concepts. India’s depth of thought was matched by its material prosperity. Its fine goods, its spices, its silk, its cotton, were much sought after. India’s traders went to distant lands both to the East and the West, carrying with them not only goods from India, but also its reputation as a land of great culture and wealth.
We are the inheritors of this great civilization whose legacy has been passed on from generation to generation. We can be worthy heirs if we follow, in the true sense, the ideals of political, social and economic justice. Lip service will not do. We have to be ardent adherents. We are also duty-bound to pass on this rich inheritance to our younger generation - the 540 million youth. We place great hope on them and rightly so. They have been demonstrating their capabilities and strengths in various fields of human activity in India and abroad. Whether in multi-national business enterprises or the IT industry or financial organizations or global scientific bodies, young Indians are joining their ranks and making their mark. In sports, they have been bringing laurels to the country. Our youth are the architects of the nation’s future. We must educate them and inculcate in them a spirit of sacrifice, dedication, patriotism and service to the nation. This way, they would be ready to face the future with confidence and build on the achievements made so far.
Dear Citizens,
Where does our country stand today? Our credentials as the world’s largest democracy have been further reinforced with the deepening of democracy at all levels. We have elected bodies existing from the national to the grassroot level. Democracy has given citizens the right to participate in the affairs of the nation. It has become a way of life in India. On the economic front, we are ranked as the world’s fourth largest economy based on purchasing power parity and one of the fastest growing. The resilience of our economy was evident during the global financial crisis which we weathered, better than many other countries. The future holds great potential and promise. However, many issues demand attention and the way we address them is important.
Foremost, among our tasks is to ensure the welfare of all. It is for this reason that India has adopted inclusive growth as a pillar of its economic edifice and is pro-actively pursuing it. Our task will be complete only when no one sleeps on a hungry stomach, when no one sleeps on the footpath and when every child is in school. Therefore, fittingly, education, capacity building, housing, healthcare and nutrition are a priority on the agenda of the Government. All of us should also pause to think how as responsible citizens, each one of us can contribute to Government efforts in these areas. It is a huge task to be achieved for a billion plus population, but we should not be overwhelmed. In every village and in every colony of every town, city or metropolis, people can come forward to form groups to work for the disadvantaged. Some amongst us may ask, what difference can these small efforts make? For them, I recall a story of a man walking down a beach, moments after a storm. He noticed a person ahead of him picking up starfish washed ashore and throwing them back into the sea. He asked the person how his efforts could make any difference, as the beach was long and there were lakhs of starfish washed ashore who would die. The person looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it into the water saying, "it makes a difference to this one". The message is clear - every effort, big or small, does make a difference.
Dear Citizens,
I believe that empowerment through education is important as it opens many doors of opportunity. The Right to Education Act has made free and compulsory primary education for children a fundamental right. It is important that secondary education is also universalized, as we seek to increase enrollment levels in higher education. This will provide the “brain power” for the nation. We are living in an age where innovation is shaping many areas of human activity. New technologies can enhance our agriculture and industrial productivity. Efficient technologies can facilitate the optimum utilization of capital, labour and resources. We have seen the impact of mobile telephone connectivity even in our villages. Innovation and invention were always given weightage as agents of change but perhaps never as high as now. The categorization of nations as rich and poor, developed and developing may well be overtaken by a new definition of those nations that innovate rapidly, as opposed to those which do so on a lower scale. To be in the forefront of cutting edge technologies, research and development in all fields must be encouraged and pursued in the country.
We must also speed up the construction of physical infrastructure. We need new roads, ports, airports, power projects as well as reinforcement of existing facilities. The augmentation will fill the infrastructural deficit that impedes overall economic growth and is, in many ways, out of sync with our image of an emerging global player.
Our industries must continue to grow. Indian companies should persist with efforts to be efficient and globally competitive. Some are already making their presence felt overseas. Our agriculture requires a fresh perspective, with new and radical ideas to steer it towards a second Green Revolution, so that agriculture production, productivity and profitability are increased. This is essential for our food security as well as price stabilization. At the same time, agriculture cannot be looked at in isolation. It needs to be connected with other sectors of the economy. Linking industry with agriculture would provide a basis for growth of industry in the rural areas and also promote agriculture business. Models of farming which give economies of scale, while protecting the interests of the farmer must be explored. Efficient distribution networks that link farmers with the consumers should be encouraged, so as to bring greater remuneration to farmers for their produce, while giving a price advantage to the consumer. Value addition on-site will generate employment and income opportunities for the local population. Support to the rural poor and farm labour through skill development, vocational training and social welfare programmes, must be a priority. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is an important mechanism for providing livelihood. If specific local conditions are taken into account in its implementation and innovative approaches for convergence of various Government schemes encouraged, rural growth will be greatly enhanced. For example, agricultural productivity in rain fed areas can be increased with improved farm practices as well as conservation of soil and water, with the construction of farm ponds and village tanks and their proper upkeep and de-silting. Undertaking such activities in a coordinated manner can make a meaningful difference.
However, achievement of goals and targets is dependent on an effective governance structure. Powers have been given to those in Government for formulating policies and for implementation on the field. It should always be remembered that this power must be used in a responsible manner. Zero tolerance towards corruption and working with the highest standards of public service will definitely result in efficient governance systems and will have a multiplier effect on development and growth.
Dear Citizens,
We must be law abiding and also work for moral upliftment. I mention this because with an increasing emphasis on materialism, there is growing insensitivity towards each other. Strong family bonds are weakening. Social consciousness is on the decline. Some social evils persist. This must change. Today is the best opportunity when ground-breaking achievements alongwith a moral and ethical renaissance can take place. In this way, progress would be
anchored in values of compassion, tolerance and selfless service, which are important for making human life meaningful and purposeful. These values will make our multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual society more robust. They will also give us a strong base on which a stable structure of prosperity and progress can be raised. For example, as a kite surges high into the sky, it is affected by the breeze and the clouds. If the string is firm and skillfully handled, the kite will stay afloat, otherwise it can go adrift, be cut off, fall and be destroyed. The kite is much like our growth voyage with the string and the firmness with which it is handled, representing the ethical base. India is the abode of infinite values – let us strive to restore these as we go along the path of progress.
Tomorrow’s India will be constructed by the hard work of today. I call on all citizens to contribute to making the future of the nation, stronger and brighter. Let everyone understand their role and responsibility to achieve this. As I said earlier, every effort counts. Nation building demands the ability to work diligently and patiently, where the reward is the growth of the nation rather than personal promotion. It requires unity of purpose and the ability to focus on issues which unite. It requires a spirit of conciliation. This is possible when dialogue is chosen as the channel for communication. By listening to each other, respecting each other’s viewpoint and understanding one another, we can address issues before us. The proponents of extreme ideologies and the followers of Left Wing Extremism must abandon their path of violence. I call on them to join national efforts for growth and development. I hope that everybody, including the civil society will come forward and move them in this direction. Protracted development efforts will be needed in these areas.
Dear Citizens,
India’s growth and progress will take place in an environment that is also influenced by global events. We believe that peace is essential, if prosperity is to be achieved. Terrorism poses the biggest threat to global peace, stability and security. To defeat it, all nations of the world must work collectively, so that terrorists have no sanctuaries, no training grounds, no access to financial resources, no infrastructural support, and no defenders of their ideology. Violence and hatred can have no place in the world. Indeed, the interests that we share as human beings are far more powerful than forces which are divisive. Across the world, the message of peace and not of destruction must
spread, if this Century powered by the most rapid advances in science and technology, is to be the Century of the most spectacular gains made by humankind, accompanied with human values. I am confident that India will contribute substantially to the forward march of the human race.
The human spirit has a tremendous capacity to reach new horizons. With faith in ourselves, faith in our capacity to work together and faith in success, we will continue our journey. We have the talent, to create a great nation; and with our collective will and hard work we will do so. And as we progress and as our flag proudly flutters, like it will tomorrow on Independence Day, we can with pride cite the lines of a well known Indian poet,
MÉMÉxÉ-MÉMÉxÉ iÉä®úÉ ªÉ„É ¡ò½þ®úÉ *
{É´ÉxÉ-{É´ÉxÉ iÉä®úÉ ¤É±É Mɽþ®úÉ *
Which means:-
Across the skies your fame has spread,
with every breeze your strength grows.
With these words, I once again wish all Fellow Citizens peace, prosperity and progress on the occasion of Independence Day.
Jai Hind.”
*****
AKT/AD/HS/SH/LV/SKS/VK/RK
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