Abdula Kalam: The vision that will ignite a billion souls

From a speech delivered by the President of India on his assumption of office in New Delhi

While I assume the office of the President of Republic of India with humility, and gratefully recognising the immense trust the people of the country and the political system have reposed in me, I promise to endeavour to fulfill the aspirations of our people.

We have made significant achievements in the last 50 years in food production, health, higher education, the media and mass communication, industrial infrastructure, information technology, science and technology, and defence. Our nation is endowed with natural resources, vibrant people and a traditional value system. In spite of these resources, a number of our people are below the poverty line, undernourished, and lack primary education. Our aim is to empower them to be poverty free, healthy and literate.

Today our country is facing challenges such as cross-border terrorism, internal conflicts and unemployment. To face these challenges, there must be a vision to ensure focused action of one billion citizens of this great country with varied capabilities.

I wish to emphasise my unflinching commitment to the principle of secularism, which is the cornerstone of our nationhood and the key feature of our civilisational strength. During the last year I met a number of spiritual leaders of all religions. They all echoed one message, that is, unity of minds and hearts of our people will happen, and we will see the golden age of our country very soon.

I would like to endeavour to work to bring about unity of minds among the divergent traditions of our country. I am one of the billion citizens. I will work and sweat for a great vision, the vision of transforming India into a developed nation, powered by economic strength with its value system.

Only the vision will ignite the billion souls. I will keep the lamp of knowledge burning to achieve the vision – developed India.