Priyappetta Sahodari Sahodaranmare,
Ellavarkkum Ente Republic Dina Aashamsakal,

       Let me begin my address by conveying my heartiest Republic Day Greetings to everyone present here and to Keralites all over the world.  Today, as we celebrate our 69th Republic Day, we have every reason to rejoice in the tremendous progress achieved by our beloved nation during the seven decades of our Independence.

This moment of joy is also the time to bow our heads in remembrance of hundreds of people who sacrificed their lives to enable us to enjoy the fruits of freedom. Our independence has been won through many an unforgettable struggle and the most appropriate way to honor the memory of those relentless efforts is to zealously guard and preserve our freedom, national identity and harmony.

Today, apart from being the largest and liveliest democracy in the world, India has won its rightful place among the powerful nations of the World. India's leadership in many areas as diverse as space science, military preparedness, food production, agriculture, entertainment etc., has been globally recognized. Besides, we are about to enjoy a demographic dividend on account of having the largest population of youth in the world, armed with education, skills and refinement.  

When we began our tryst with destiny at that unforgettable midnight hour in August 1947, we were a food deficit, poverty stricken nation, struggling to recover from the fatigue induced by the cruel weight of colonialism. We endured the teething troubles with never failing determination and on 26th January, 1950 gave unto ourselves a sublime Constitution that vowed to secure us equality, justice, liberty and gender and economic equity. We were the first nation in the non-Western world to adopt a firmly democratic Constitution. It was at that historic moment that India emerged as the largest democracy in the World.  

As we look back on our seven decade long journey towards progress, we see the transformation of a poor economy to one among the fastest in growth. Our initial priority at the dawn of Independence was the rapid elimination of famine. Today, we are proud of being a leading exporter of food commodities and of the universal implementation of the Food Security Act that provides access to highly subsidized food-grains in all our States and Union Territories. India's position as a global food factory has been strengthened by the recent declaration of our country as the preferred investment destination in the Food Processing sector.

As the country with the third largest army in the world, India has always received the best services from its armed forces in the protection of borders and in countering any violation of peace. We remember with gratitude the service offered by our Forces during the recent painful Cyclone Ockhi.  The recent successful launch of Brahmos, the World’s fastest supersonic cruise missile, the surface-to-air missile Akash and most recently, the test-firing of the Agni-Five Ballistic Missile point to our increasing defense preparedness. We also saw the dedication of INS Kalvari, an example of the Make in India phenomenon working in Defense.

India's eminence in Space Science, affirmed first by Chandrayan and later by Mangalyan, was strengthened by the launch of 104 satellites, in a single launch, on board PSLV-C37 last February. Later, Indian Space Research Organization did us proud by launching 31 satellites each in a single launch, on-board PSLV-C38 and very recently PSLV-C40. Another area of science that merits mention is Bio-technology, where path breaking research and cutting-edge technology spanning across healthcare, agriculture, food and nutrition, bio energy, and environment have benefited our people. We can also be proud that today, India is also a brilliant leader in vaccine manufacture and development.

We are fortunate that in spite of dissent and differences of opinions characteristic of a democracy, the progress of the nation has always received priority and unanimous support in our political and social debates. The support, participation and most importantly, response to some of the farsighted flagship welfare schemes of the Union Government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi bear testimony to this progressive outlook that cuts across political and ideological boundaries.

Take the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan for instance. With the intention to pay a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by achieving Open Defecation Free status by 2019, we have ensured 74 percent sanitation coverage. Our beloved State of Kerala has responded by taking it to one hundred percent, to become the first densely populated State to become Open Defecation Free.
 
A similar response is seen in the power sector, where the Government of India has been implementing the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna for rural electrification. Kerala took this one step ahead to become the first fully electrified State in the country. Our nation holds comfortable positions in global Wind and Solar Power installed capacity and plans to achieve the 175 Giga Watts target for installed renewable energy capacity by 2022. In Kerala, we have set up the largest floating solar power plant, giving a boost to renewable energy.

The efforts of the State Government, led by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, in focusing on key areas critical to development deserve praise. At a time when the nation is moving ahead with Education for All and Quality Education, to make Education Available, Accessible, Affordable and Accountable, Kerala has modernized its classrooms and has become the first State to declare Internet as a right of the citizens.  

This year's Chancellor's Award of Rs. Five crore, for the best University in the State, has been bagged by Cochin  University of Science and Technology.  The first award of Rs. One crore for the best emerging young university went to Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. I am happy that ever since we instituted this award to nurture a healthy competition among varsities, four of our universities have obtained a ranking in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the Ministry of Human Resources Development.

Development of technologies and skill up-gradation have to be seen along with education. It is satisfying to note that the component of Skill updating has received great attention in our State. Our aim should be to make sure that the youth of Kerala take the lead in leveraging the Demographic Dividend that awaits India. 

We may recall our Hon'ble Rashtrapati Shri Ramnath Kovindji's optimism about Kerala becoming the power house for Digital India. With the highest mobile and Internet penetration and an Information Technology Policy that envisions Digital citizenship, Digital lifestyle and Digital Commerce, we can soon expect the transformation of Kerala into a 100 percent Knowledge powered Digital State, which will be a model for the entire nation.  

We can be proud of Kerala being acknowledged by the  United Nations as the only State in the country figuring high in Human Development Index. It has also won praise for the best in law and order and for figuring high in the Public Affairs Index.

The Nava-keralam Mission we had initiated last year to rewrite Kerala's unique model of development is progressing with significant strides in Health care and Housing sectors. Haritha-keralam has created a renewed interest in  agriculture and a growing passion for environmental protection. Emphasis on Responsible Tourism is another area where Kerala is proving to be a sparkling model. 

Our faith in inclusive development is beyond question. It is evident in Kerala's status as the first State to have a Transgender Policy and to maintain a registry of sex offenders.  We have set up a separate department for Women and introduced gender budgeting. For our guest workers from other States, we have devised welfare schemes in areas like Health, Literacy and Housing. This also is a glittering model for other States to follow. 

The role of the lakhs of Non Resident Keralites in the State's development was befittingly acknowledged and discussed in the recent Loka Kerala Sabha. We hope to see a new model of development, marked by welfare schemes, wider sharing of knowledge and global exposure for our beloved State. However, to fulfill these hopes, our task is to improve the investment climate by ensuring Ease of doing business and simplifying procedures.

On this happy Republic Day, it is also necessary to think of the areas where we need to improve. We are at times disturbed by the tendency of some of our youth falling prey to political and communal feuds. More disturbing is the alleged participation of some people in terror outfits both in India and in other countries. We have to be on our guard against such actions which lower the image of our beloved State.

There is no doubt that political and communal hatred and terror have no place in a democratic society.  It is true that the strong institutions of democracy that our Constitution has given us will step in with safeguards in any crisis, but we the people must always be on our guard against the slightest action that threatens our harmony.  

Today, as we celebrate the everlasting wisdom of our Constitution and call to mind the deep commitments and values that unite us as a nation, let us remember that each one of us has a role to play in the promise and future of India. We are sure that all of us will stand united and use our character, hard work, participation and commitment to build a richer, more progressive, more powerful and super-charged India.

Nanni,
Namaskaram,
Jai Hind