[Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, gave this speech on August 14, 1947, just before India achieved independence. Because his thoughts on non-violence, truth and tolerance continue to have an endearing relevance today, The Wire is reproducing a translated transcript of the speech on Republic Day, January 26, 2022.]

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At this crucial juncture in our history, when after years and years of struggle, we are finally going to hold the reins of our country’s governance in our own hands, we should remember God, the Supreme Being, who shapes the destiny of individuals and countries.

Let us pay homage to the many men and women, known and unknown, who laid down their lives, voluntarily or involuntarily, to attain the freedom of this day, those who happily climbed the gallows, and boldly embraced the bullets. Those who gave up their lives languishing in jails and on the island of Kala Pani, who without hesitation left behind their parents, their wives and children, their familial ties, and even the country and offered their life and wealth in sacrifice. This day to which we stand witness is a result of their rigour and sacrifice.

We must also offer our reverence and devotion to Mahatma Gandhi, who has been our guide for 20 years – the only ray of hope and fervour. He is the essence of our culture and the heart of our life, whose presence has kept us alive even in the midst of all the trials and tribulations of history. He dragged us out of the dark pit of despair and troubles and instilled a spirit in our hearts that allowed us to muster the courage and strength to stake claim to independence, our birthright.

He handed us the infallible weapon of satya and ahimsa [truth and non-violence], through which we acquired the invaluable gem of swaraj [independence] without having to take up arms, at a paltry cost, for such a large country and crores of its people. With great cleverness, indomitable determination and unshakeable faith in the people of the country, in his weapon and, above all, in God, he led the weak people like us. It is, therefore, our duty to remain truthful and steadfast.

I hope that in the hour when it gains victory, India will neither abandon nor underestimate the value of the weapon which pulled the country from the pit of despair and made evident its power and utility.

As people across the world are frustrated and tired of wars over shaping their future, that weapon has an enormous task at hand. But India cannot accomplish this great task by mimicking others from afar, nor can it be accomplished by accumulating weapons or competing with others in building such weapons which can cause maximum destruction in minimum time.

Today, this country has got the chance and we hope that it will have the courage and strength to showcase this weapon to save the world from war, death and destruction. The world needs it, and will welcome it too, if it wants to avoid falling back in the age of barbarism, above which it boasts to have risen.

We want to assure all the countries of the world that we want to treat everyone with friendship and cordiality as per our tradition. We have no hatred towards anyone. We do not want to kill anyone and hope that no one will do it to us either.

We have only one hope and aspiration and that is that we may be helpful in establishing freedom for all and peace and happiness among mankind.

The country which God and nature had made one, has been divided into two today. Parting is always painful, not only with people close to us but even with those we have known only for a while. Therefore, I must say that we are deeply saddened by this partition.

But in spite of this, on your behalf and on our behalf, we want to extend our best wishes and goodwill to the people of Pakistan for their progress and success.

We extend our best wishes to those who are disheartened by the Partition and have been left behind in Pakistan. No one should panic. We must preserve our home, religion and culture and act with courage, courtesy and tolerance.

There is no reason for them to fear that they will not be treated fairly and justly and will not be protected. They must have faith in the assurance given to them. They should aspire to earn due respect by their loyalty and truthfulness towards the land they inhabit.

We want to assure the minorities in India that they will be treated fairly and justly. No distinction will be made between them and others. Their religion, culture, and language will be preserved. And they will get all the rights and credentials of citizenship. They are also expected to remain loyal to the country in which they live and to the legislation of that country.

We want to assure the people that we will make tireless efforts to eradicate poverty, hunger and disease from the country, to eliminate discrimination between people, to prevent exploitation of a human being by another and to mobilise for everyone the means to a beautiful and prosperous life.

This task ahead of us is a Herculean one and we hope that all the people of the country will help and cooperate in it. We expect sympathy and support from the other countries of the world. We hope that we can prove ourselves worthy. God bless us.

(Translated from the Hindi original by Naushin Rehman. Courtesy: The Wire.)