Making a determined effort to establish himself as a commoners’ President, Pranab Mukherjee today echoed what civil society has been saying for most part of 2012: that “India did not win freedom from the British in order to deny freedom to Indians”; and that gender inequality cannot be countenanced any more. He was addressing the nation on the eve of India’s 64th republic Day.
Apparently deeply influenced by the here-and-now events of the last six months, Mukherjee recorded deep distress: not just at the rape, brutalisation and snuffing out of a promising young life, but also at the levels of corruption among politicians, two of the most enduring themes of 2012.
“The brutal rape and murder of a young woman, a woman who was symbol of all that new India strives to be, has left our hearts empty and our minds in turmoil. We lost more than a valuable life; we lost a dream. If today young Indians feel outraged, can we blame our youth?” Mukherjee asked, reflecting the current opinion of the former as well as present Chief Justice of India.
“The time has now come to ensure gender equality for every Indian woman. We can neither evade nor abandon this national commitment, for the price of neglect will be high. Vested interests do not surrender easily. The civil society and the government must work together to fulfill this national goal”, Mukherjee said.
Interestingly, Mukherjee’s view of civil society when he had been in government, negotiating the knotty issue of the Lok Pal had not been so charitable.
Mukherjee asked the nation to adress the problems of the young, not treat them as deadwood. “We are on the cusp of another generational change; the youth of India spread across villages and towns, are in the vanguard of change. The future belongs to them. They are today troubled by a range of existential doubts. Does the system offer due reward for merit? Have the powerful lost their Dharma in pursuit of greed? Has corruption overtaken morality in public life? Does our legislature reflect emerging India or does it need radical reforms? These doubts have to be set at rest. Elected representatives must win back the confidence of the people. The anxiety and restlessness of youth has to be channelised towards change with speed, dignity and order”, he said in his speech.
While extolling the benefits of economic growth and emphasising that India should be proud of what it had achieved since independence, Mukherjee was acid about tendencies to become irrationally exuberant: “Figures mean nothing to those who do not benefit from them.” Striking a note that was markedly socialist in an environment where taxing the super rich is being contemplated, he said: “It is true that we have come a long way from 1947, when our first Budget had a revenue of just over Rs.171 crore. The resource base of the Union government today is an ocean compared to that drop. But we must ensure that the fruits of economic growth do not become the monopoly of the privileged at the peak of a pyramid”. Warning of pitalls in market economies, he said: “As we move ahead on the path of economic reforms, we must remain alive to the persisting problems of market-dependent economies. Many rich nations are now trapped by a culture of entitlement without social obligations; we must avoid this trap. The results of our policies should be seen in our villages, farms and factories, schools and hospitals”.
While highlighting education as the beacon that will uplift people from poverty, Mukherjee admitted that “So far education has not reached, to the extent desired, to those most in need of this ladder.”
He also warned neighbouring countries not to take India’s hand of friendship for granted against the background of the tensions on the Line of Control.
This was Mukherjee’s first Republic Day speech as President.
