Monday, October 23, 2006

Vajyapee's address to the nation

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's address to the nation on Jan 1st, 2002

Excerpt

"My dear fellow countrymen, joyous new year greetings to all of you.
[….]

Nations achieve greatness when their people learn to dream lofty dreams and to strive hard - and make sacrifices, when necessary - to realise those dreams, without getting disheartened by the difficulties along the way and without ever letting their faith in their nation's destiny falter.

I am reminded here of the inspiring vision of Maharshi Aurobindo, which he set out in his historic radio broadcast for August 15, 1947:

"I have always held and said that India was arising, not to serve her own material interests only, to achieve expansion, greatness, power, and prosperity - though these too she must not neglect, - and certainly not like others to acquire domination of other peoples, but to live also for god and the world as a helper and leader of the whole human race."

This, I believe, is the quintessence of India's work, now and in the future. Different leaders of modern India have presented the same vision in different words. "

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