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"A century of achievements ends. A
century of endeavour beckons to us.
Our resplendent civilization with
unbroken continuity from the third
millennium B.C. looks ahead to peaks
of excellence in the third
millennium A.D.
It fails to us to work for India’s
greatness. A great country is not
one which merely has a great past,
Out of that past must arise a
glorious future.
Let us build an India.
- Proud of her independence; - powerful in defence of her
freedom; - strong, self-reliant in
agriculture, industry and front-rank
technology; - united by bonds transcending
barriers of caste, creed and region; - liberated from the bondage of
poverty, and of social and economic
inequality;
An India
- disciplined & efficient; - fortified by ethical and spiritual
values; - a fearless force for peace on
earth; - the School of the world, blending
the inner repose of the spirit with
material progress; - a new civilization, with the
strength of our heritage, the
creativity of the spring time of
youth and the unconquerable spirit
of our people.
Great achievements demand great
sacrifices. Sacrifices not only from
our generation and generations gone
by, but also from generations to
come.
Civilizations are not built by just
one or two generations.
Civilizations are built by the
ceaseless toil of a succession of
generations. With softness and
sloth, civilizations succumb. Let us
beware of decadence.
We must commit ourselves to the
demanding task of making India a
mighty power in the World, with all
the strength and the compassion of
her great culture.
To this cause, I pledge myself."
From the Presidential Address of
Shri Rajiv Gandhi at Bombay
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