Maiden I-Day Eve Speech: President Murmu Says Country’s Hopes Rest On Daughters

New Delhi: Droupadi Murmu, India’s newly-elected President, said on Sunday that the country’s hopes rest on our daughters.

Addressing the nation in her maiden Independence Day-eve speech, the President observed that women are moving ahead overcoming many stereotypes and barriers.

“Their increasing participation in social and political processes would prove decisive. Today the number of elected women representatives in our Panchayati Raj Institutions is more than 14 lakh. Many of the hopes of our country rest on our daughters. They can achieve great success if given the right opportunities. From being fighter-pilot to space scientist, our daughters are waving their flag in every field,” she said the evening before India’s 75th I-Day.

“In most other well-established democracies, women had to wage long-drawn struggles to get the right to vote. But India adopted universal adult franchise right since the beginning of the Republic. Thus, the makers of modern India enabled each and every adult citizen to participate in the collective process of nation-building. Thus, India can be credited to have helped the world discover the true potential of democracy,” said President Murmu, who took charge as the country’s 15th President on July 25.

Only the second woman to hold the country’s highest office – following in Pratibha Patil’s footsteps — President Murmu said citizens must show a collective resolve to fully realize the dream of our freedom fighters by 2047, when the country will celebrate 100 years as an independent nation.

Saluting the architects of India’s freedom struggle, the President said leaders like Mahatma Gandhi re-discovered ancient values for modern times.

“It is no wonder our democracy has Indian characteristics. Gandhiji advocated decentralisation and power to the people,” she said.