Pranab Mukherjee, in his first address to the nation as President on the eve of the Independence Day, asked Indians to respect institutions, especially the legislature, whose powers of making laws could not be challenged. He warned that not doing so would put India, one of the world’s most enduring democracies, on the path of authoritarianism.
In what was almost a history lesson, delivered in a style at once elegant, dignified and chatty, the President recalled the freedom movement, “which I witnessed when I was a toddler” and the values it enshrined. “Through those long years when freedom seemed an illusion, we were sustained by faith in ourselves, in our leaders, in the strength of non-violence, in the courage of Indians liberated from fear. But we knew then, as we do now, that freedom must mean both bread and dreams,” the speech said.
Referring to the legacy of both Subhash Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru (elevating to an equal footing with a son of India, one of the best known sons of Bengal), Mukherjee said India hadn’t done badly in the 60-odd years it had been independent. He conceded he was an optimist, “for whom the glass is always half full”, but even so, said while the average rate of annual growth in the past seven years had been respectable, it was young people who would redeem India in the end. “They have the character; they need the chance”.
He sought education for the young. He flagged the quality of infrastructure and inflation as two danger signs that India must respect and overcome. He asked the government and the people to respect the contribution of farmers in a year when rain had not been plentiful.
The largest portion of his speech was devoted to the outcry against corruption. While conceding the legitimacy of the anger against graft, Mukherjee said loss of people’s patience cannot be an excuse for assault on democratic institutions.
“Institutions are the visible pillars of our Constitution and if they crack, then the idealism of our Constitution cannot hold. The people have a right to express their discontent. But we must also understand that legislation cannot be wrenched away from the legislature or justice from the judiciary. When authority becomes authoritarian, democracy suffers; when protest becomes endemic, we are flirting with chaos. Democracy is a shared process. We all win or lose together. Democratic temper calls for dignity of behaviour and tolerance of contrary views. Parliament will live by its own calendar and rhythm. Sometimes, that rhythm sounds a bit atonal but in a democracy, there is always judgement day, an election. Parliament is the soul of the people, the Atman of India. We challenge its rights and duties at our peril,” Mukherjee said.
While paying a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Mukherjee did not forget to mention the other Gandhis who had played such an important role in his life -- Rajiv, to whom he paid tributes in the context of the Assam Accord and the current disturbances in the state, and Indira.
“When Indira Gandhi reached for the stars, she believed that this would be within the grasp of India in just another generation. But there is neither a present nor a future, except in a climate and culture of national unity and brotherhood,”, the President concluded, calling for “peace, peace, peace”.
