Independence Day 2009

Greetings on the occasion of 62 years of Independence for the Republic of India. As you know on the 15th of August, the Prime Minister of India, address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the enduring legacy of India's fight for freedom. This address, is akin to the State of the Union address of the President of the USA, in which he talks about the state of the country and the challenges it faces. On this Independence Day, as I am yet to recover from my Obama fixation, I am writing what I would say *if* I was the Prime Minister of India. As I say, these are my opinions only and any feedback, in terms of bouqets and brickbats, is more than welcome. So therefore, here we go....

“My fellow Indians,

63 years ago, on this day, the first Prime Minister of independent India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, stood on this very platform and announced that as the world slept, India would awake to life and freedom. In these 63 years, we have surpassed our own expectations in where we stand at this moment, as well as surprising our critics who held no hope of our growth. To this achievement, I congratulate all Indians who have worked so hard, and continue to work as hard as ever to show the world, what an Indian is capable of. I also take this moment to thank on behalf of a grateful nation, the soldiers and paramilitary forces, who stand guard at our borders, no matter how dangerous or how remote, ever ready to give their lives for the Republic. I would also like to make a thankyou to members of the Indian Police Services, who are still standing guard, lest this day of celebration be tempered by unsavoury incidents. Indeed, the nation is grateful for your continuing sacrifices.

Brothers and sisters, our nation stands at a great point in time. This is the last year of the first decade of a new century. A century, which has been described as Asia's century. A century which according to research from all parts of the globe, will belong to India. It is for no reason that we find ourself courted by many major countries from all parts of the globe, so that they may share our impending success. However, we have also seen through the previous years that we are in a very troubled time. The world is going through some upheaval and although the experts say we are on the path to recovery, this path is thorny, dangerous and long. Therefore, to ensure that the prophecy of India Shining is not false, I shall outline today some major initiatives that we shall take in the next few years, to ensure that India, comes out of this crisis stronger than ever before. These initiatives herald a major shift in many of our policies, a sign that in a new world, new rules have to be made. These rules may not be to everyone's liking, and in some of them, the Government has taken very hard decisions, but let me tell you this my brothers and sisters; the easy decisions are seldom right, and the right decisions are seldom easy.

A country, is judged first and foremost by the conduct of its parliament and the strength of its democracy. Indeed some few months ago, 65% of you gave us a mandate to govern. You braved all elements, natural and in some cases man-made, to speak in one voice, that you will control your destiny, and you will decide whither you will go and what shall be your goal. A majority of those elected are hardworking politicians, no, servants of the people. However, a minority, have gotten into power, not on the basis of trusty, but on fear. One third of those elected come from a criminal background. Speaking as the leader of the world's largest democracy, this is a shameful statistic. This will however, be a statistic no more. From tomorrow, I shall convey to the President, to institute a committee on the basis of the report from the Election Commission of India, which shall look into those MPs who have criminal antecedents and make a list of the names of MPs who are embroiled in criminal cases. These MPs, shall be immediately expelled from Parliament, and their seats will be up for a by-election. If these criminal cases are of a serious nature, they shall be disbarred from participating in any type of elections. My fellow Indians, we have had enough of criminals who see politics as a refuge. They must not be allowed to prosper, and with my decision, they will not be allowed to prosper. This committee, shall report back to me in exactly two months, that is on October 15. There will be no deadlines, and the hearings of this committee shall be telecast live on the national network, so all people will see who these MPs are. In our democracy, there will be no place for criminals. This is my promise to you.

Brothers and sisters, for us to function effectively as a government and for this nation to chart its future successfully, our laws need to be effective. This cannot be, when our Penal code is from a Victorian era, an era even before many of the freedom fighters alive today. 63 years after the tricolour was unfurled in this very hallowed ground, we still cling onto a set of laws that predates even the first war of independence. Is this the freedom Mangal Pandey, Rani Laxmibai, Tatya Tope, Mahatma Gandhi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shubhas Chandra Bose and many others fought for? No, my fellow Indians it is not. Therefore, I am also announcing today another Commission which will radically overhaul the Indian Penal Code, so that we follow rules of the 21st century. This Commission will take into account the existing laws in many other countries and bring about a plan to investigate laws which are no longer relevant to the new India. This Commission will conclude its report within the next two years, so when we celebrate 65 years of Independence, we can do so, by having laws that serve us, not rule us. This is my promise to you

Amidst these changes, I am also announcing a major shift in our thinking. For far too long, we have been basking in political freedom, not the true meaning of freedom. While the changes I have outlined thus far, will enable us to move closer to true freedom, a major change is enshrined in that single document which governs us all as a nation; the Constitution. Based our majority in both houses of Parliament, my Government is laying on the table, an amendment to the Constitution of India, which will no longer place restrictions on the personal freedoms. Each man shall have a right to express himself freely, within the boundaries of the law. The Government of India and the Republic of India shall move away from the business of ruling the people that elects it and move towards ensuring that its citizens are allowed their basic rights, without any caveats. My Government believes that adults, should be able to express themselves as they please, so long as they stay within the confines of the Law of the Land. This is our destiny, and this is my promise to you.

For many of us, 1991-1992 remains a watershed moment in the course of our Nation's rather short life. Faced with our biggest economic crisis, we realised that by trading with others openly and freely do we become truly independent. This culminated in the economic reforms that has led many of the present generation enjoy rapid rises in income and the opportunity of a better life, either in India, or abroad. However, this ia a job that we have left unfinished. For every Indian who capitalises on his or her opportunity and tastes success, there are hundreds and thousands who cannot, not because of their abilities, but because of a system that restricts them and suffocates them. We cannot allow, in the world's largest democracy, such inequality to occur, especially in the form of Government policy. Therefore I am announcing today, that we shall once again begin efforts to liberalize our economy in great earnest. One has to just look towards China, to see what Liberalization has done to them. At the time we gained our Independence, China was ruined by the war. Today, it is an economic superpower of Asia. If China can do it, under a socialist leadership, we most definitely can do with with a democratic leadership. I understand that many of our Left comrades are unhappy at this. While I can understand their fears, I must state that it is quite unfounded. For it is from competition that innovation is born, and it is the free-market economy that is the fastest and most efficient method of lifting people from abject poverty. My Government cannot spend lakhs and crores of rupees providing lifelines to Public Sector Units, when farmers commit suicide, unable to pay their debts. The Government is not in the business of signing blank cheques, brothers and sisters and those who hold leadership positions must take note of that. I want this nation be home to more Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis, Murthis, Premjis and Nilekanis. We have abundant resources, and I want to ensure that every Indian who has a dream, has the opportunity to fulfil it, without being stifled by rules and regulations. This is my promise to you.

I would now like to spend some time on matters related to the defence and the security of the Union. Earlier, in my address, I had talked about the numerous men and women, who guard our borders, who take the shape of soldiers, and policemen. These brave citizens, watch over us while we sleep, braving the harshest of conditions. Sometimes, as we see continuously, they pay the highest sacrifice so that we live to see the sun shining again. We can only remember their valour, now, but we can ensure that the future generation of soldiers have the latest technology at hand to protect us further. Therefore, I am instituting a Blue Ribbon Commission, which will have, our fellow citizens who have made a mark in the wider world as its members. Its task will be to come up with suggestions and recommendations to further improve our forces, militray, paramilitry, police forces and our intelligence forces. This committee will be formed by the end of this year, and from January 1, 2010, will start its work. These recommendations shall be on my table by August 15th 2011 and within three months, the outcomes shall be visible to all. When I, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, thrust a young officer from IMA Dehradun into battle, I want to do so, knowing that my country has given the young soldier, the very best of arms, ammunition, training and blessings. On another note, I shall say this to those who hold high positions in our neighbouring countries. India, as a nation, is peace loving. However, we also have limits. We cannot be expected to sit idly by holding onto the olive branch of peace, when other sides wantonly carry out acts causing maximum injury and death to our citizens in our Land. I strongly ask Governments in other nations to do all they can to stop terrorist activities within India. I was elected on a platform of providing security to all Indians, as directed to me by my guiding force, the Constitution of India, and I say to all those who are listening, I shall carry out this duty using whatever power I have. For those who see this as a warning or a threat, then so be it. We as a nation shall not be subject to a principle of "death by a thousands cuts". My country, our country, will not break apart into pieces. When we gained Independence, we became a symbol of Unity in Diversity, and nothing ever shall change this. This is my promise to you.

Finally, I say this to my fellow countrymen: the steps I have outlined are but small steps in a big journey. These steps, will require blood, sweat and tears. This is a journey that we must make immediately, or risk being forever a "developing nation". My dream, my fellow brothers and sisters, is to ensure that Bharat, is a name that will be forever spoken in glowing terms, and for that to occur, we must rededicate ourselves to our nation now, as a new battle of Independence is going to be fought in the coming years. We are at a cruical juncture in history, where we can learn from our past and apply it to better our future. Such moments, as Pt. Nehru said, "come rarely in history, where a voice, long supressed, finds utterance". Our voice is now slowly finding its true pitch. Let us not stifle it any longer, or we shall run the risk of being declared mute. So please join me, in dedicating our power to make India, the best it can be.

Jai Hind, Jai Hind, Jai Hind!!!!”

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