Hung House will be catastrophic, says President Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: Addressing the nation on the eve of Republic Day, President Pranab Mukherjee hit out at communal forces and terrorists who “seek to destabilise the harmony of our people and the integrity of our state but they will never win”.

And even as discussions on the issue of Telangana continued in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, Mr Mukherjee said the debate to conform to democratic norms. “A democratic nation is always involved in argument with itself. This is welcome, for we solve problems through discussion and consent, not force,” he said.

He said healthy differences of opinion must not lead to an unhealthy strife within the polity. “Passions are rising over whether we should have smaller states to extend equitable development to all parts of a state. A debate is legitimate but it should conform to democratic norms. The politics of divide and rule has extracted a heavy price on our subcontinent. If we do not work together, nothing ever will work,” he said.

The President pointed out that 2014 was a precipice moment in the nation’s history. “This chance will not come if India does not get a stable government. This year, we will witness the 16th Lok Sabha. A fractured government, hostage to whimsical opportunists, is always an unhappy eventuality. In 2014, it could be catastrophic. Each one of us is a voter, each one of us has a deep responsibility, we cannot let India down. It is time for introspection and action.”

The President also pointed out that rage will abate only when governments deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic progress, not at snail’s pace but with the speed of a racehorse. “The aspirational young Indian will not forgive a betray of her future. Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the people,” he said.

He stated that the nation needs to find its own solutions. “We must be open to all knowledge, to do otherwise would be to condemn our nation to the misery of a stagnant mire. But we should not indulge in the easy option of mindless imitation, for that can lead us to a garden of weeds,” he said.