New Delhi
President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday showered a fulsome praise on the farmers for their contribution to the people’s food security, but without a word on their protest at Delhi's borders for over 2 months.
In a 20-minute address to the nation, first in Hindi and then in English, on the eve of the 72nd Republic Day, the President said: "Every Indian salutes our farmers, who have made our vast and populous country self-reliant in food grains and dairy products. Despite adversities of nature, numerous other challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic, our farmers sustained the agricultural production."
He said a grateful nation is fully committed to the welfare of our farmers, ignoring the farmers' loud cry and the opposition parties petitioning him the farm laws brought by the Modi government are not for the farmers' welfare but their ruin.
Kovid rather described the farmers' agitation because of what he claimed as "misapprehensions." He said: "The path to reform at the initial stages may cause misapprehensions. However, it is beyond doubt the government remains singularly devote to farmers' welfare." He ignored opposition parties' complaint the laws that pinch the farmers were brought without consultations with them and pushed through Parliament without a proper debate.
The President said "just as our hardworking farmers ensure food security for the country, the brave soldiers of the armed forces ensure security of our national boundaries amid severest conditions." Every citizen is proud of the bravery, patriotism and the spirit of sacrifice among the soldiers, but like PM Modi just did not refer to the Chinese forces' intrusion in Ladakh region these soldiers are still fighting.
He congratulated the Modi government for the steps taken to fight back the Covid pandemic, but maintaining silence on how much the people suffered due to the sudden lockdown clamped that has left the country's economy hit badly till todate.
"Given our country's population density, diversity of cultural traditions, natural and geographical challenges, taking precautionary measures against Covid-19 was far more difficult for us. Yet, we have managed to check the spread of the virus to a large extend," he said on behalf of the government.
The President highlighted how PM Modi "converted a crisis into an opportunity" by giving a call for "Atma-Nirbhar Bharat" or a "self-reliant India" and affirmed it is in line with the aspiration to shape a New India by 2022 when the country turns 75.
Rajasthan’s jail warder Sukhdas Swamy was awarded the posthumous correctional service medal for gallantry on the eve of the Republic Day while a dozen got the President’s correctional service medal for distinguished service for the prison staff, including jail superintendents Gopal Prasad Tamrakar and Ramesh Arya and deputy superintendent Mahavir Singh Rawat of Madhya Pradesh.
Also, 39 jail staff bagged the correctional service medal for meritorious service and they include Dilip Kumar Bhan, section officer and warder Iqbal Ahmed from J&K, warder Rampal Singh and head warders Ajay Bahadur Singh and Iqbal Ahmed, hawaldars Uttam Gwade, Santosh Manchekar and Baban Namdev Khandare from Maharashtra, and Rajasthan's superintendent Govind Singh, deputy jailor Ajeet Singh, and warder Chhotu Singh.
