Ram Temple, G-20, Bharat Ratna: Highlights From President Murmu’s Republic Day Speech

New Delhi: Addressing the nation on the eve of Republic Day, President of India Droupadi Murmu praised the Ram Temple’s consecration ceremony, deeming it a landmark in India’s rediscovery of its civilisational heritage. She also covered topics like the women’s bill, the G-20 summit, and Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur. Here are the key points from her address.

1. “Earlier this week, we witnessed the historic ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the idol of Lord Shri Ram in the glorious new temple constructed in Ayodhya. When this event is seen from a wider perspective, future historians will consider it a landmark in India’s continued re-discovery of its civilisational heritage. The construction of the temple commenced after the due judicial process and the decision of the highest court of the land. Now it stands as a grand edifice, giving a befitting expression not only of people’s faith but also as a testament to people’s enormous trust in the judicial process.”
2. Republic Day is an occasion to recall our foundational values and principles. The ethos of our Republic brings together more than 1.4 billion of us to live as one family. For this largest family in the world, co-existence is not an imposition of geography but a source of happiness, which finds expression in our Republic Day celebrations.
3. We have always been proud of our scientists and technology experts, but now they are aiming far higher than before and delivering too.
4. Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will prove to be a revolutionary tool of women’s empowerment.
5. The successful organising of the Group of 20 Summit in the capital, under India’s presidency, was an unprecedented achievement.
6. I pay my tribute to Karpoori Ji for enriching public life through his contributions.
7. The nation is in the early years of Amrit Kaal, the period leading to the centenary of Independence.
8. India gratefully salutes the members of our Armed Forces, Police and Para-military Forces, without whose valour and vigil we would not have scaled the great heights we have.
9. I would like to make a thankful mention of our farmers and labourers who toil silently and make a mighty contribution to creating a better future for the nation.
10. Technological advances like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning have moved from headlines into our daily lives at a breathtaking speed.
11. India’s ancient wisdom can also help the world find a way out of the global environmental crisis.
12. From Vardhaman Mahavir and Samrat Ashok to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, India has time and again shown that non-violence is not just an ideal that may be difficult to achieve but it is a distinct possibility. Let us hope that the regions embroiled in conflicts will find a peaceful way to resolve conflicts and bring about peace.