Subject: A P J Abdul Kalam's speech Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 22:47:26 -0400

NEW DELHI: Following is the text of address delivered by A P J Abdul Kalam
in the Central Hall of Parliament after being sworn in as thePresident of
India. Respected Shri Narayananji, Mr Vice President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr
Deputy Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Speaker of Lok sabha, Members
of the Union Council of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, Deputy
Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, Members of
Parliament, Excellencies, friends and children -- my greetings to all of you.
When I see in front of me, the distinguished dignitaries including a number
of senior diplomats representing their countries and other eminent
personalities, a beautiful Thiagarajaswamigal's Keerthana in Sri Raga echoes
from my heart: "Endaro Mahaanubhavalu andhariggi vandanamulu," which means,
"I salute all the great noble heartedhuman beings." I thank the members of
Parliament and State Legislatures for having elected me. The endorsement I
have received from the nation, giving me the responsibility to realise our
shared dream of India with prosperity, harmony and strength is really
overwhelming. Ten illustrious personages have adorned this office of the
President and contributed to the nation building with their outstanding
personal qualities. I salute them all. While I assume the office of the
President of Republic of India with humility and gratefully recognising the
immense trust, the people of the country and the political system have
resposed in me, I promise to endeavour to fulfill the aspirations of our
people. Indian civilisational heritage is built on universal spirit. India
always stood for friendship and extends warm hands to the whole world. We
have made significant achievements in the last 50 years in food production,
health sector, higher education, media and mass communication, industrial
infrastructure, information technology, science and technology and defence.
Our nation is endowed with natural resources, vibrant people and traditional
value system. In spite of these resources, a number of our people are below the
poverty line, undernourished and lack primary education itself. Our aim is to
empower them to be poverty free, healthy and literate. A country needs to
have the characteristics as defined in Thirukkural, composed over 2,000 years
ago: "Pini inmai Selvam Vilaivinbam Emam, aniyenbaNattirkiv vainthu." That
is, "The important elements that constitute a nation are: being disease free;
wealth; high productivity; harmonious living and strong defence." All our
efforts should be focused towards building these five elements at various
levels in a coherent and in an integrated manner. I am convinced that our
nation with a strong, vibrant and billion plus population can contribute to
realise these elements. Today our country is facing challenges such as
cross-border terrorism, certain internal conflicts and unemployment. To face
these challenges, there must be a vision to ensure focused action of one
billion citizens of this great country withvaried capabilities. What can be
that vision? It can be none other than transforming India into a developed
nation. Can the government alone achieve this vision? Now, we need a
movement in the country. This is the time to ignite the minds of the people
for his movement. We will work for it. We cannot emerge as a developed
nation if we do not learn to transact with speed. I recall the saintly poet
Kabir's wisdom to us: "Kaal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab". that means,
"What you want to do tomorrow do it today, and what you want to do today do it
now." This vision of developed nation needs to be achieved with
Parliamentary democracy, which is the core of our governance system. The
basic structure of our Constitution has stood the test of time. I am
confident that it will continue to be responsive to the demands of changing
situations. The first and foremost task is to respect and uphold the
Constitutional processes, in the best interest of our people and our nation,
without fear or favour and with fairness and firmness. India is a Union of
States based on the framework of co-operative federalism. Within the
co-operative framework, there is also a requirement to develop competitive
strengths for the States so that they can excel at the national level and the
global level. Competitiveness helps in ensuring economic and managerial
efficiency and to be creative to meet new challenges. These are essential to
survive and prosper in a fast changing world of today. In addition, in order to
strengthen democratic processes and institution, we should all truly strive
for substantive ecentralisation. I wish to emphasise my unflinching
commitment to the principle of secularism, which is the cornerstone of our
nationhood and which is the key feature of our civilisational strength. During
the last one year I met a number of spiritual leaders of all religions. They
all echoed one essage, that is, unity of minds and hearts of our peple will
happen and we will see the golden age of our country, very soon. I would like
to endeavour to work for bringing about unity of minds among the divergent
traditions of our country. Along with speedy development aimed at elimination
of poverty and unemployment, national security has to be recognised by every
Indian as a national priority. Indeed, making India strong and self reliant
-- economically, socially and militarily -- is our foremost duty to our
motherland and to ourselves and to our future generations. When the child
is empowered by the parents, at various phases of growth, the child transforms
into a responsible citizen. When the teacher is empowered with knowledge and
experience, good young human beings with value systems take shape. When
individual or a team is empowered with technology, transformation to higher
potential for achievement is assured. When the leader of any institution
empowers his or her people, leaders are born who can change the nation in
multiple areas. When the women are empowered, society with stability gets
assured. When the politcal leaders of the nation empower the people through
visionary policies, the prosperity of the nation is certain. The medium for
transformation to developed India is the empowerment at various levels with
power of knowledge. A roadmap of realising this vision of developed India is
in front of us. At this juncture, I recall a beautiful though of Dr G G
Swell, an eminent leader from the North East: "We must have a mental
infrastructure. Mental infrastructure means sincerity of purpose, of vision,
or purity of heart and mind." When I travel across our nation, when I hear the
sound of waves of the three seas around the shores of my country, when I
experience the breeze of wind from the mighty Himalayas, when I see the
bio-diversity of North-East and our islands and when I feel the warmth from
the western desert, I hear the voice of the youth: "When can I sing the song
of India?" What can be the answer? I have so far interacted with over 50,000
school children during the past one year. I would like to share with you my
answer to the urge of these children. If youth have to sing the song of
India, India should become a developed country which is free from poverty,
illiteracy and unemployment and is buoyant with economic prosperity,
national security and internal harmony. To create this transformation we all
have to resolve ourselves to work and sweat for the national development. I
would like to share the song of youth, which I normally recite with the school
children, here at this juncture. I am very happy to see the children present
here representing the future generation. Through them I would like to convey
the song of youth to all children of our country and the people. As a young
citizen of India, armed with technology, knowledge and love for my nation, I
realise, small aim is a crime. I will work and sweat for a great vision, the
vision of transforming India into a developed nation, powered by economic
strength with valuesystem. I am one of the citizens of billion; Only the
vision will ignite the billion souls. It has entered into me; The ignited
soul compared to any resource is the most powerful resource on the earth,
above the earth under the earth. I will keep the lamp of knowledge burning to
achieve the vision - Developed India. If we work and sweat for the great
vision with ignited minds, the transformation leading to birth of vibrant
developed India will happen. This song, when sung in our own beautiful
languages will unite our minds for action.