‘JK Reservation Act will give representation to tribals’
Troops giving befitting response to terrorism
Govt building modern infra along borders
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 31: President Droupadi Murmu said today that there is a sense of security in Jammu and Kashmir with deserted markets due to strike having been replaced by hustle and bustle of crowded markets as she declared that the armed forces are giving befitting response to expansionism and terrorism.
She referred to abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India granting special status to erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. She also made a mention of Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act saying it will ensure the right to representation to the tribals.
“There is a sense of security in Jammu and Kashmir today. The earlier deserted look of marketplaces due to strike has been replaced by the hustle and bustle of crowded markets,” the President said in her 75 minutes address to joint sitting of two Houses of Parliament today.
On abrogation of Article 370, Murmu said there were doubts regarding the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir but those are now history. She also mentioned the enactment of strict law against ‘Triple Talaq’.
She said the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act will ensure the right to representation to tribals.
Murmu said the Government’s successful hosting of the G-20 summit had strengthened India’s global standing and noted that Jammu and Kashmir, and the North Eastern States hosted some international meetings of the grouping for the first time.
Referring to the country’s borders, Murmu said the Government is building modern infrastructure along the borders but added that this work should have been done long ago on priority basis.
The present Government has been engaged in building infrastructure right up to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China including Eastern Ladakh where Sino-Indian troops are locked in conflict in certain areas for past over three and half years now. The infrastructure is also being developed expeditious along Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan. The infrastructure development has not only been helping the troops but also the people living close to the borders.
“Be it terrorism or expansionism, our forces today are giving a befitting response. The tangible results of my Government’s efforts to strengthen internal security are visible to us,” Murmu asserted.
She said the Central Government has, for the first time, brought development to areas which had remained neglected for decades.
“The villages adjoining our borders were viewed as the last villages of the country. We recognised them as the first villages of the country. In order to develop these villages, Vibrant Village Programme has been started,” she said.
The President said the centuries-old desire to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya has now become reality. The Lok Sabha chamber reverberated with applause and thumping of desks when Murmu spoke about the building of Ram temple in Ayodhya, which is witnessing pilgrims in large numbers.
“Over the past 10 years, India has witnessed several such tasks being accomplished in the national interest, for which the people of the country were waiting for decades. For centuries, there was an aspiration to construct the Ram Mandir. Today it is a reality,” Murmu said.
The President said within five days of the opening of the temple, 13 lakh devotees had visited Ayodhya Dham. She termed the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22 as an “epochal moment”.
Murmu touched on issues ranging from insurgency to inflation and said a country can progress at a fast pace only when it defeats the challenges of the past and puts maximum energy into building the future.
“Naxal affected areas have shrunk and there has been a steep decline in Naxal violence,” Murmu said.
The Government, she said, believed the grand edifice of a developed India will stand on the four strong pillars of youth power, women power, farmers and the poor.
The President highlighted the Government’s achievements over the last five years, including India’s moon landing and the country’s performance in the Asian Games.
“We all have heard the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ since our childhood. Today, for the first time in our lives, we see poverty being alleviated on a large scale. According to the NITI Aayog, in the 10-year rule of my Government, nearly 25 crore people have come out of poverty,” she said.
Murmu also praised the Government for defence production crossing the Rs 1 lakh crore-mark and said that ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ have become the strengths of the nation’s development journey.
The President also lauded the members of the Parliament for the smooth passage of the women’s reservation bill.
She also hailed the efforts of the Government for keeping inflation under control despite global crises, especially during the Covid pandemic and wars.
Despite such global crises, my Government has managed to keep inflation in the country under control, preventing additional burden on our countrymen.
“In the 10 years prior to 2014, the average inflation rate was over 8 per cent. However, the average inflation rate has been maintained at 5 per cent in the last decade. My Government’s endeavour has been to increase savings in the hands of ordinary citizens,” Murmu said.
The President said her Government has taken several measures to assist women such as bank loans and programmes to make credit available to them.
“Our Government has granted permanent commission to women for the first time in the Armed Forces. For the first time, women cadets have been given admission in Sainik Schools and National Defence Academy. Today, women are also fighter pilots and are also commanding naval ships for the first time,” Murmu said.
The efforts of the Government in the field of economy also received praise from the President as she pointed out how the Indian economy was now moving in the right direction and at the right pace due to several reforms undertaken in the last 10 years.
“Amidst serious global crises, India emerged as the fastest-growing major economy, consistently maintaining a growth rate of over 7.5 per cent for two consecutive quarters,” she said.
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