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By Harish Khare
The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, addressing the nation on the eve of the Republic Day on Saturday.
Only such involvement would create the requisite "type of dynamic environment with motivation" that was needed to transform India into a developed nation by 2020. Using the traditional Presidential address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, Dr. Kalam presented a kind of report card of his activities in the last six months. There was a "feel good" theme in the address, devoted mostly to his perceptions and impressions as he travelled around the country recently. More than what the President said, what was noteworthy is what he did not. Dr. Kalam did not offer any views about the recent communal violence in various parts of the country or about the other controversies in the polity. Words such as "secularism" and "minorities" did not figure in the address. The only "political" content in his address was a reference to the "free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat". Dr. Kalam complimented the "exemplary performance of the Election Commission and the Central and State Government machineries".
The "media, political parties and independent groups" came in for praise for contributing to the election process "in spite of
This was the closest Dr. Kalam came to referring to the troublesome events in Gujarat since the last Republic Day.
Dr. Kalam said that the "people of our country have shown to the world that democratic traditions are deep-rooted in our civilisation and that is our strength.
In fact, all of us on this day should pledge ourselves to build upon this unique heritage."
Unlike his predecessor, K.R. Narayanan, Dr. Kalam did not take note of the aberrations in the republic or warn citizens against these.
In fact, the address is a continuation of Dr. Kalam's persistent emphasis on "vision". Commending the Prime Minister's Independence Day announcement that "India would become a developed nation by 2020", he cautioned that "environment and people-related issues" would have to be kept in mind in quest of grand projects such as networking of rivers. Similarly, while noting that the "second green revolution is indeed graduating from grain production to food processing and marketing", he warned that the "utmost care should be taken for various environmental and people-related aspects leading to sustainable development".
As usual, Dr. Kalam spoke with the greatest excitement when it came to the younger generation.
Talking of his visit to as many as 17 States, he noted with optimism "the unabated enthusiasm of the young for learning".
He said, "Learning should bring out the spirit of creativity in the young minds. Creativity gives knowledge. Knowledge is indeed an asset for the nation." And, he commended "Knowledge-powered PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas)".
The salvation was in providing four kinds of connectivity to rural India — physical (roads), electronic (reliable communication network), knowledge (professional institutions and vocational training centres) and economic (leading to self-actuating people and economy). Above all, he wanted the citizens to become active partners in transforming India, instead of expecting the Government to come up all the time with ideas and initiatives.
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