'Together, We Have To March.'

Following is the Full Text of Address to the Nation by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion ofIndependence Day.

"Dear countrymen,

My hearty greetings to all of you on the sacred occasion of our IndependenceDay.

Each year on this day, we gather at the Red Fort and unfurl our belovedTricolor. The Tricolor is a symbol of our freedom, of our self-respect, and ofsacrifices and martyrdom.

People belonging to the older generations would certainly remember the timewhen young boys and girls would form themselves into small groups, take the flagin their hands, and go around villages and city streets singing, VijayiVishwa Tiranga Pyara, Jhanda Uncha Rahe Hamara. (May our beloved andvictorious Tricolor fly high in the world.)

Today we bow our heads in homage to the memory of all the leaders, fighters,and martyrs of our Freedom Struggle.

My greetings to all the jawans of the three Armed Forces and to the securitypersonnel. We gratefully remember those brave soldiers who laid down their liveswhile guarding our frontiers or in the battle against terrorism.

This year the festival of freedom has arrived bringing the message of goodrains in most parts of the country. We hope that the areas, which have not yetreceived adequate rainfall, would do so.

The last year went by in grappling with the crisis of drought. We assistedall the drought-hit areas to the fullest extent, sent adequate foodgrains there,and ensured that there was no hunger anywhere. We also took care of the mutecattle.

Felicitations to our farmers, who with their hard work, have filled thegranaries in the country.

Felicitations to our industrious workers, skilled managers, and far-sightedbusinessmen, whose successes have attracted the attention of the entire world.Today, India’s economy has grown to be the fourth largest in the world.

Greetings to all scientists, teachers, litterateurs, artistes, and to dearchildren.

Felicitations to all the people of Indian origin living abroad. They havemade a remarkable contribution to raising India’s stature in the world. We areproud of them.

Today, we offer our salutations to Mother India, whose children we all are.Whatever be our religion, caste, region, or language, we all are one. This unityis our strength.

We should cherish the diversity that underpins this unity. But we must, underall circumstances and at any cost, keep our national unity and integrity intact.This is the most important message of Independence Day.

Sisters and brothers, this is the sixth consecutive time that I have beenspeaking to you from the ramparts of this historic Red Fort. This has beenpossible only because of your affection and support.

The dream of India as a great nation, which we had seen during the FreedomStruggle, continues to inspire us even today. To some extent, this dream hasbeen realized. Yet, a lot more remains to be accomplished.

Despite all the hardships, and braving all the challenges in these fifty-sixyears, India is standing in the world with her head held high.

The nation’s security is supreme to us. India cannot be dependent on othersfor her security. Therefore, the first act of my Government five years ago wasto make India, for her self-defence, a nuclear weapons state.

The world is changing. New challenges are emerging before us. We have to makeIndia stronger both economically and socially.

In the past five years, India’s prestige in the world has gone up, thanksto our pro-active foreign policy. The international community’s way of lookingat us has undergone a big change. The world is now recognizing India:

• As the world’s largest democracy;
• As an emerging global economic power;
• As the confluence of a modern nation and an ancient civilization;
• As a powerful country, dedicated to the ideal of peace.

Sisters and brothers, it is our policy to establish friendly and cooperativerelations with all our neighbors. We believe in resolving all disputespeacefully. Our frequent initiatives to normalize relations with Pakistan arenot a sign of our weakness; rather, they are an indication of our commitment topeace.

In recent months, there has been some progress in normalizing relations withPakistan. Nevertheless, terrorist activities are still continuing. The test ofour neighbour’s sincerity lies in whether he is prepared to stop cross-borderterrorism totally.

We hope that Pakistan abjures its anti-India outlook. The people of bothcountries wish to live in peace.

I have been telling our Pakistani friends that we have spent fifty yearsfighting. How much more blood is yet to be spilt? The two of us need to fightagainst poverty, against unemployment, and against backwardness.

We should increase trade and economic links between our two countries. Whenwe share a two thousand kilometer long border, it makes no sense for us to tradevia a third country.

Let people travel to and fro. Let more and more elected representatives visiteach other’s country. Let us expand bilateral cultural relations.

Let us open some new doors, new windows, and new light-holes in the wallsthat divide us.

The love that the two-year-old girl Noor from Lahore received in Indiacarries a message, which our friends in Pakistan should understand.

On the occasion of Independence Day of both our countries, I invite Pakistanto walk together with India on the road to peace. This road is decidedly bumpy.There are even mines strewn along this path. Yet, once we start walking, we willfind the hurdles getting out of our way.

I had gone to Srinagar a few months back. I’m going there again at the endof this month. The atmosphere there is changing.

Last year, from the ramparts of this very Red Fort, I had declared thatelections in the State would be held on time, and that they would be free andfair. Not everybody believed in it then. But, we fulfilled our promise.

The free elections there have yet again demonstrated the fact that the peopleof Kashmir have rebuffed terrorism from across the border.

The people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh have faith in democracy. They wantpeace. They would like to see happiness return to their lives.

Those people who, while talking about Kashmir, advocate the right toself-determination, wish to divide India on communal lines for the second time.They will not be allowed to succeed in this.

This year, more than one lakh tourists went to Kashmir. There was a largeturnout of pilgrims going on the Amarnath yatra. Nearly six thousand studentsfrom different parts of India are today studying in Kashmir. Next week, we shalllaunch mobile telephone services in the State.

The knotty issues in Jammu and Kashmir can be unraveled only throughdialogue. We shall take forward the efforts that have been initiated in thisdirection. People who have been uprooted have to be resettled in their homes.

Dear Countrymen, the progress that India has made in recent years has givenme new hope and confidence.

• An India, which was used to borrowing from abroad has started lending to others.
• An India that was perennially troubled by a paucity of foreign exchange, has today accumulated nearly US $ 100 billion of foreign exchange reserves.
• The prices of essential commodities are under control. There is no shortage of anything in the market.
• Poverty is declining. It is our resolve to eradicate it faster.

There are no waiting lists now for telephone or gas connections. The numberof mobile phone users has gone up from 8 lakh to 1.5 crores. In the coming year,1.5 crore more mobile customers will be added.

We are all aware of the poor condition of our roads. Even fifty years afterIndependence, there were nearly two lakh villages, which were unconnected byproper roads. For the first time, the Centre has started the Pradhan Mantri GramSadak Yojana to connect them with good roads.

In the first five decades of Independence, only 550 kilometers of four-lanehighways were built. In other words, only 11 kilometers a year. Now, we willbuild 24,000 kilometers of highways at the rate of 11 kilometers a day.

The Rs. 54,000-crore National Highways Development Project is progressingrapidly. Three lakh people are working on it everyday. Next year, this numberwill go up to six lakh per day.

Lakhs of young Indians have got attractive employment in the field ofcomputers. Sitting in our cities, they are providing services to hospitals,factories, and offices in various countries. Software exports have zoomed fromRs. 8,000 crore to nearly Rs. 50,000 crore.

Our country is now ready to fly high in the field of science. I am pleased toannounce that India will send her own spacecraft to the moon by 2008. It isbeing named Chandrayaan I.

We have increased the amount of lending to agriculture and related sectors.Interest rates have been reduced. We shall soon constitute a National KisanCommission to encourage new experiments in farming, promote investments inagriculture, and study the various problems faced by our farmers.

The Green Revolution and the White Revolution of previous decades haveimparted much strength to Indian agriculture. Now India needs a new revolution– the Food Chain Revolution. Its aim is to achieve a doubling of the averageincome of the Indian farmer by 2010. An important part of this revolution is toreduce wastage of foodgrains, fruits and vegetables worth thousands of croreseach year.

Based on the success of Kisan Credit Cards, we have decided to provide creditcard facility to all eligible artisans, weavers, and fishermen. The rate ofinterest on loans given to them will be reduced to 9 percent a year. Acontributory insurance scheme will also be started for their benefit.

Under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, 1.5 crore poorest families in the countryare being given 35 kilos of foodgrains each month at the rate of Rs. 2 a kilo ofwheat and Rs. 3 a kilo of rice. Never before were foodgrains provided at suchcheap prices. This is the largest food security program in the world.

With the launch of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, no child, especially the girlchild, will be deprived of primary education. To implement this programeffectively, 2.5 lakh new teachers will be appointed this year itself.

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme for children up to class five is going on in someStates. Now, we have decided to run it throughout the country. Later, this willbe extended to students up to class ten. This National Program will be known as"Akshaypatra". I appeal to voluntary organizations, religiousestablishments and women’s self-help groups to come forward to implement thisprogram in an effective way.

I know what people in under-developed States have to suffer due to the lackof good hospital services there. Therefore, under the Pradhan Mantri SwasthyaSuraksha Yojana, six new hospitals with modern facilities, like those availableat AIIMS in Delhi, will be established in backward States in the next threeyears.

Friends, for decades a debate was going on about a project to link ourrivers, as a way of freeing India from the curse of floods and droughts. Now wehave taken up this challenge. I am pleased to inform you that work on tworiver-linking projects, with the cooperation of State Governments, will be takenup before the end of this year. We will mobilize necessary resources for theseprojects.

Never before had housing construction taken place at the kind of speedwitnessed in the past five years. Never before were housing loans available atsuch low rates as now. Lakhs of people have got employment in the housingsector.

India has limitless potential in tourism. Take the case of this historic RedFort itself. It has been taken up for comprehensive restoration for the veryfirst time in its 350 years. I can see that a beautiful garden is coming up inthe ground in front of me. It can be befittingly called the "August 15Park".

I would like you too to emulate this example by undertaking such beautifulprojects for the conservation of heritage in your own village or town.

The over-riding objective of our policy of economic reforms is just this: Wewant to create a dynamic economy that not only succeeds against globalcompetition, but is also caring and compassionate towards the poor and theneglected.

We express our condolences for those who have become victims of untimelydeath in recent mishaps and natural calamities.

Sisters and brothers, the hands of young Indians are today scripting India’sbright future. An ancient nation with a history of several thousand years hasonce again become a Young Nation and is all set to create a new history.

Today, in this nation of a 100 crore people, 60 crore are less than thirtyyears old. This generation is better educated than any generation in the past,and more ambitious than any generation in the past. It is a generation that hasmade up its mind not to fall behind anyone in the world in this age ofcompetition.

Today, the doors of opportunity are opening up for our young people all overthe world. These opportunities will only increase in the coming years anddecades. Therefore, we should educate our youth in science, technology and othernew disciplines from now itself.

I appeal to all, that we listen to the heartbeats of this Young India; thatwe understand the dreams of this Young India; that we encourage this Young Indiain every way possible; and, that we give proper guidance to this Young India.

Countrymen, today there is a paramount need that we maintain peace in oursociety and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. Development requires peace,goodwill and mutual cooperation. Those who wish to divide the society on thebasis of religion, caste or community are doing harm to the country.

India is a multi-religious nation. It is against both its nature and cultureto practice discrimination or to do injustice to anybody on the grounds offaith. We should always care for the minorities and be attentive towards theirwelfare.

Peace talks in the North-Eastern States are yielding positive results. Thehands that took up the gun now wish to participate in the development of theirregion. The Government is ready to welcome them.

Friends, it is our responsibility – the responsibility of the Government aswell as of the society – that we provide equal opportunities to our brethrenbelonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes andmake them partners in the system. To ensure that economic and social justicefully reaches them is not only our Constitutional duty but also our moralobligation.

We have removed the difficulties that had cropped up in the properimplementation of the policy on reservations. Untouchability in our society ison the decline. However, we have to completely remove this blot.

We have established a new ministry for the development of Adivasis. We havealso set up a separate Commission for them. For the first time in fifty years,the list of Scheduled Tribes has been revised and over a hundred new communitieshave been added to the list.

Friends, after the experience so far, I have come to the conclusion thatthere is an imperative need for greater commitment and accountability in oursystem of governance, which has the responsibility of implementing policies anddecisions. There is delay in government offices even for getting the right workdone. Delays breed corruption.

My Government is prepared to fight corruption at all levels. We have decidedto enact the Lok Pal Bill, which had been pending for several decades. In spiteof opposition from some people, I have personally brought the Prime Ministerwithin the ambit of its investigation, so that you can even book your PrimeMinister if he commits any wrong.

Stringent steps are being taken against economic offenders.

Sisters and brothers, the Government of the National Democratic Alliance hascompleted five years. All the previous experiments in running coalitionGovernments at the Centre had failed. We have succeeded.

Today there is a tremendous hunger for development among the people. Theywant such a stable government which is determined to improve their livingconditions and also capable of doing so.

In our polity today, there is, on the one hand, a growing trend towardswanting to work together, but, on the other hand, there is also a scenario ofdisarray.

Our States have governments of different political parties. The Centre hasestablished cooperative relations with them. Political discrimination on accountof ideological differences is unacceptable to us.

The proposal to reserve 33% seats for women in Parliament and StateLegislatures, as a means of women’s empowerment, has now become a nationalresolve. Today, there are over 10 lakh women members in our panchayats andmunicipal bodies. I congratulate them for their good work.

However, it is regrettable that it has become difficult to pass the Bill forWomen’s Reservation in its original form because of a lack of consensus inParliament.

Now a new proposal has been brought forward that seeks to create 33% double-member seats, in which one of them is reserved for women. This is a practicalsuggestion. All the supporters of women’s reservation should consider it witha positive outlook. If there is any other suggestion on which a consensus ispossible, the same should be implemented. There should be no further delay inrealizing this goal, for which our sisters have been waiting for a long time.