Hindi English Translation || Editorial || March of the Republic: On India’s 77th Republic Day and the President’s speech

March of the Republic: On India’s 77th Republic Day and the President’s speech

While celebrating achievements, the government must not ignore challenges

President Droupadi Murmu reflected on India’s democratic and development journey on the eve of India’s 77th Republic Day. Her emphasis was rightly on the self-reliance (आत्मनिर्भरता) of the country in all fields and India’s role as a messenger of peace and stability in a world that is increasingly fractious (झगड़ालू, चिड़चिड़ा). Ms. Murmu highlighted recent national achievements and touched upon political and cultural themes that are currently the priorities of the Centre. She noted that the national song, Vande Mataram, was a “lyrical national prayer” even as the country celebrates the 150th anniversary of its composition (रचना, बनावट), and also paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose 150th birth anniversary was celebrated recently, for his role in unifying the nation. The commander-in-chief also hailed (To praise or greet enthusiastically; pellets of frozen rain which fall in showers) the success of Operation Sindoor, which involved precision strikes against terror infrastructure, and credited it to India’s growing self-reliance in defence. The President said India’s progress towards becoming the third largest global economy was well on track, and commended (प्रशंसा करना, सराहना करना) economic reforms such as the GST and the new Labour Codes. She noted the great strides (A long, decisive step; to walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction) achieved by the country’s women in fields ranging from agriculture to space, and their critical role as voters. Farmers, sanitation (स्वच्छता, सफाई-व्यवस्था) workers, teachers, scientists, and healthcare professionals also found special mention in the President’s speech.

The President invoked the idea of constitutional nationalism. Republic Day celebrations are an annual occasion to revisit the ideals of the Constitution and to review its progress in principle and practice. Cataloguing the achievements of the country is motivating, but also essential on such occasions is self-reflection (आत्म-चिंतन). Economic growth or military prowess are not the sole markers of progress for any nation. Singing paeans to the Constitution is one thing, but delivering on its principles by protecting the rights of citizens and discharging (कार्यमुक्त करना, निर्वहन करना) the duties of the state is quite another. The state in its self-congratulatory posture, as reflected in the President’s speech, must not ignore the many struggles of the citizenry that persist (जारी रहना, दृढ़ रहना) even in the eighth decade of the Republic. Civilisational pride cannot be a ruse to overshadow (फीका कर देना, ग्रहण लगाना) the material questions of the present. Republic Day celebrates the ideals of the Constitution. Sectarian politics, the weakening of the federal (संघीय) character of the Republic, and corruption should not be allowed to undermine those ideals.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Self-reliance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – आत्मनिर्भरता
English Meaning – Reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others.

2.Fractious (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning – झगड़ालू, चिड़चिड़ा
English Meaning – Irritable and quarrelsome; (of a group) difficult to control; unruly.

3.Composition (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – रचना, बनावट
English Meaning – The nature of something's ingredients or constituents; the way in which a whole or mixture is made up.

4.Overshadow (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – फीका कर देना, ग्रहण लगाना
English Meaning – To appear much more prominent or important than something else; to cast a shadow over.

5.Commend (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – प्रशंसा करना, सराहना करना
English Meaning – To praise formally or officially; to present as suitable or worthy of confidence.

6.Sanitation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – स्वच्छता, सफाई-व्यवस्था
English Meaning – Conditions relating to public health, especially the provision of clean drinking water and adequate sewage disposal.

7.Self-reflection (Noun)

Hindi Meaning – आत्म-चिंतन
English Meaning – Serious thought about one's character, actions, and motives.

8.Discharge (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – कार्यमुक्त करना, निर्वहन करना
English Meaning – To tell someone officially that they can or must leave a place or situation; to release a substance.

9.Persist (Verb)

Hindi Meaning – जारी रहना, दृढ़ रहना
English Meaning – To continue in an opinion or course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

10.Federal (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning – संघीय
English Meaning – Relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs.

11.Hail (Verb)

English Meaning – To praise or greet enthusiastically; pellets of frozen rain which fall in showers.

12.Stride (Noun)

English Meaning – A long, decisive step; to walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction.