New Delhi: In his maiden address to the nation, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday called for a “partnership between citizens and the government” to create a New India by 2022 that is a “compassionate society” and includes the “humanist component integral to the nation’s DNA”.
Addressing the nation on the eve of Independence Day, Mr Kovind remembered the role of leaders of the freedom struggle, including India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and asked the people to draw inspiration from freedom fighters. He said the generation that had brought us freedom was diverse, which included men and women from all parts of the country and a variety of “political and social thought”.
Kovind: Sense of caring is important
“The stress on the moral basis of policy and action, belief in unity and discipline, faith in a synthesis of heritage and science, and promotion of the rule of law and of education — all of it is located in a partnership between citizens and the government,” Mr Kovind said.
The new President said that is how India has been built — by a partnership between citizens and the government, between individuals and society, between a family and the wider community.
“Today, in big cities, we may not even know our neighbours. Whether in cities or villages, it is important to renew that sense of caring and sharing. This will make us a gentler and happier society and help us understand each other with greater empathy,” he said.
Mr Kovind said this spirit of empathy and of social service and volunteerism was very much alive in India.
He said partnership between citizens with government remains crucial to the success of several flagship announcements of the Narendra Modi government like demonitisation, and the introduction of GST.
