NEW DELHI : Against the backdrop of raging protests against the controversial film “Padmaavat” across several states, President Ram Nath Kovind today underlined that people could disagree about something or a historical event without infringing on the dignity and space of other citizens.
He said that disagreements should not mock a fellow citizen’s dignity and personal space. “One can disagree with another viewpoint – or even with a historical event- without mocking a fellow citizen’s dignity and personal space. This is fraternity in action,” he said.
The President’s remarks in his first Republic Day eve address to the nation came against the backdrop of violence in a couple of states by various Rajput groups, including the Karni Sena, who opposed the release of the film.in what can be construed as a veiled attack on the protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Padmaavat’, President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said

“A civic-minded nation is built by civic-minded neighborhoods. Where we respect the next-door person’s space, privacy and rights. Where we do not inconvenience our neighbors while celebrating a festival or while resorting to a protest or on any other occasion”, President Kovind said in his address to the nation ahead of India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations.

The President’s veiled reference against the “Padmaavat” protests, which had even put lives of school children at risk, is the first reaction from the government to Wednesday’s violence and is seen to echo the outrage that followed the attack on a school bus in Gurgaon.
The Republic Day function will be attended by leaders from ASEAN countries. Heavy security arrangements have been stepped up across the country in view of the functions tomorrow.

In his first Republic Day eve address to the nation, the President also spoke of the need to move ahead rapidly on sustainable development goals like housing for all and the obligation to eliminate the curse of poverty in the shortest possible time.

Mr. Kovind utilised the opportunity to stress on the need to reform, upgrade and enlarge the education system to make it relevant to 21st Century realities of the digital economy, genomics, robotics and automation.
He said a nation with a sense of selflessness is built by citizens and by a society that embraces selflessness not because anybody has asked them to but because of a call from within.

“Where a better-off family voluntarily gives up an entitlement — it could be subsidised LPG today and some other entitlement tomorrow — so that another family, which has a greater need, can avail it.”He urged all citizens to collate privileges and entitlements and “then look at less-privileged members of a similar background, those who are starting off from where we once started off.

“And let each of us introspect and ask: Is his need or her need greater than mine? The spirit of philanthropy and of giving is part of our age-old culture. Let us renew it.”

The President said the highest stage of India’s nation building project lied in contributing towards building “a better world, a composite and cohesive world, a world at peace with itself and at peace with nature”. He said this was the ideal spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ”.

“It is an ideal that may sound impractical in today’s times of tensions and of terrorism. But it is an ideal that has inspired India for thousands of years — and that ideal can be felt in the very texture of our constitutional values.
He said the country needed to further improve the lives of its farmers who “like mothers toil to feed us”.He stressed on the need to modernise and strengthen India’s strategic manufacturing sector “to provide the valiant personnel of our Armed Forces, and our police and paramilitary forces, the equipment that they need”.

“We need to make clean, green, efficient and affordable energy reach our people. We need to ensure that housing for all becomes a living reality for the millions of families who await their own home. We need to craft a modern India that is both a land of talent — and a land of unlimited opportunities for that talent.”