'India has potential to be a beacon in a time of great danger’

Terror, peace, the need for dialogue to bridge differences and the potential of India to show the way to the world dominated President Pranab Mukherjee’s Republic Day address to the people of India. “We on our subcontinent have a historic opportunity to become a beacon to the world at a time of great danger,” said President Mukherjee.

Investing in mutual prosperity

Amid uncertainty over the course and tenor of the dialogue process between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pathankot terror attacks, Mr Mukherjee, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s belief in a peaceful dialogue, stressed on the need for the two neighbours to invest in mutual prosperity. “We must attempt to resolve the complex edges of our emotional and geo-political inheritance with our neighbours through a peaceful dialogue, and invest in mutual prosperity by recognizing that human beings are best defined by a humane spirit, and not their worst instincts. Our example can be its own message to a world in anxious need of amity.”

No peace under a shower of bullets

In a message to Pakistan, Mr Mukherjee, however, underlined that “we cannot discuss peace under a shower of bullets.” “There will be disputes among nations; and, as is well-known, the closer we are to a neighbour the higher the propensity for disputes. There is a civilized way to bridge disagreement; dialogue, ideally, should be a continual engagement. But we cannot discuss peace under a shower of bullets.”

Rejecting the spurious distinction between good and bad terrorists, President Mukherjee roundly condemned pure evil that leads to mass murder of innocents. “Terrorism is inspired by insane objectives, motivated by bottomless depths of hatred, instigated by puppeteers who have invested heavily in havoc through the mass murder of innocents.”

“This is war beyond any doctrine, a cancer which must be operated out with a firm scalpel. There is no good or bad terrorism; it is pure evil,” he said.

Culture of Tolerance

In a deeply thoughtful address, President Mukherjee reflected on an entire array of challenges facing the Indian republic on its 66thanniversary and the underscored the need to uphold the culture of tolerance and diversity of speech and expression.

Urging the nation to guard against forces of intolerance, violence and unreason, he spoke about the importance of the role of democratic institutions. “Our finest inheritance, the institutions of democracy, ensure to all citizens justice, equality, and gender and economic equity,” Mr Mukherjee said.

Taking a long-term view, the president, however, criticised the opposition’s stalling tactics in parliament which have paralysed legislation in parliament. “For revitalizing the forces of growth, we need reforms and progressive legislation. It is the bounden duty of the law makers to ensure that such legislation is enacted after due discussion and debate.”

“A spirit of accommodation, cooperation and consensus-building should be the preferred mode of decision-making. Delays in decision-making and implementation can only harm the process of development.”

Striking a positive note on the trajectory of national resurgence, the president said that although there will be “occasional doubters and baiters,” it’s time to applaud the country’s achievements.

“Let us continue to complain; to demand; to rebel. This too is a virtue of democracy. But let us also applaud what our democracy has achieved.”

“With investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, health, education, science and technology, we are positioning ourselves well for achieving a higher growth rate which will in the next ten to fifteen years help us eliminate poverty,” he said.

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