The proposal to synchronise election schedules in the country is a reform measure that promises to “redefine” the terms of good governance, President Droupadi Murmu said on Saturday, while addressing the nation on the eve of the 76th Republic Day.
“The ‘One Nation One Election’ plan can promote consistency in governance, prevent policy paralysis, mitigate resource diversion, and reduce the financial burden, apart from offering many other benefits,” Ms. Murmu said.
In her address to the nation, Ms. Murmu stressed on the Union government’s efforts to “eliminate remnants of a colonial mindset that have lingered” and, in that context, mentioned the replacement of the British-era criminal laws with three new modern laws.
The President noted that the decision to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, which are based on Indian traditions of jurisprudence, is the most noteworthy effort.
“…the new criminal laws place the delivery of justice instead of punishment at the centre of the criminal justice system. Moreover, the new laws grant top priority to countering crimes against women and children. Reforms of such magnitude require an audacity of vision,” she noted.
Ms. Murmu underscored the importance of inclusive growth and the government’s commitment to welfare by ensuring basic necessities like housing and access to clean drinking water.
She also pointed to the persistently high economic growth rate in recent years that has generated job opportunities, increased income for farmers and labourers, and lifted many out of poverty. “The bold and far-sighted economic reforms will sustain this trend in the years to come. Inclusion is the cornerstone of our growth saga, distributing the fruits of developments as widely as possible,” Ms. Murmu said.
Efforts to support marginalised communities, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), were also highlighted in her speech. She mentioned various initiatives, including pre-matric and post-matric scholarships, national fellowships, and flagship schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan.
Read the full text of President Droupadi Murmu address
The President’s speech dwelt upon a wide range of issues: from the steps taken to achieve financial inclusion, use of technology in financial transactions, sporting achievements and giant leaps in space research by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to the transformation in the education sector in terms of quality of learning, physical infrastructure and digital inclusion.
She also mentioned the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj as an example of “fresh engagement with our civilisational heritage”.
Commenting on the 75 years since the Constitution was adopted, the President noted that it has been a period of all-round progress for a young republic. She said that at the time of Independence and even later, large parts of the country had faced extreme poverty and hunger. But farmers had toiled hard to make the country self-sufficient in food production; labourers worked relentlessly to transform our infrastructure and manufacturing sector.
“Thanks to their sterling efforts, India’s economy today influences the global economic trends. Today, India is taking leadership positions in international fora. This transformation would not have been possible without the blueprint laid down by our Constitution,” she said.
Ms. Murmu said the Republic Day is a matter of collective joy and pride for all citizens. While some may argue that 75 years is only a blink of an eye in the life of a nation, she said, “This has been the time when the long-dormant soul of India has awakened again, taking strides to regain its rightful place in the comity of nations”.
Sacrifice by freedom-fighters
Noting the sacrifices made by great freedom-fighters to free the country from the shackles of foreign rule, she said that some of them were well-known, while others had remained less known till recently.
Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated, stands as a representative of freedom-fighters whose role in national history is now being recognised in “true proportions”, she said.
The President asserted that it was the nation’s good fortune to have the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Babasaheb Ambedkar, who helped it rediscover its democratic ethos. She also noted the contribution of women leaders like Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalani, Hansaben Mehta and Malati Choudhury.
“When women’s equality was only a distant ideal in many parts of the world, in India women were actively contributing to shaping the destiny of the nation,” she noted.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she reiterated the importance of morality in governance and civic life, stating, “If Swaraj was not meant to civilise us, it would be nothing worth.”
The President called for a renewed commitment to Gandhiji’s ideals of truth, nonviolence, and compassion — not just towards fellow humans but also towards nature.
Published – January 25, 2025 08:36 pm IST