'Ideals Of Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Define Our Republic': President Droupadi Murmu on R-Day Eve

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu said that the ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution define our Republic, as she delivered her address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day 2026. 

“We, the people of India, at home and overseas, are going to celebrate Republic Day with fervour. The auspicious occasion of Republic Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the status and direction of our country in the past, present, and future. The force of our freedom movement changed the status of our country on 15th August, 1947. India became Independent. We became the architects of our own national destiny. Since 26th January, 1950, we have been propelling our Republic towards our constitutional ideals,” the President said in her address.

"On that day, our Constitution was fully enforced. Bharat, the birthplace of democracy, was unshackled from the dominion system, and our democratic republic came into existence. Our Constitution is the foundational document of the largest republic in world history. The ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution define our Republic. The framers of the Constitution provided a strong bedrock for the spirit of nationalism and the unity of the country through constitutional provisions," she continued.

Vande Mataram

Speaking about the spirit of Vande Mataram on which the Parliament had an exhaustive debate in the last session, President Murmu said, "The great nationalist poet Subramanya Bharati composed the song "Vande Mataram Yenbom", in the Tamil language, meaning "Let us chant Vande Mataram", and connected the masses on an even larger scale with the spirit of Vande Mataram. Translations of this song in other Indian languages also became popular. Sri Aurobindo translated this song into English. Vande Mataram, composed by the venerable Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, is our lyrical national prayer." 

On the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the President mentioned, "Two days ago, on 23rd January, the nation paid its respectful tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary. Since 2021, Netaji's Jayanti has been celebrated as 'Parakram Diwas' so that the people, especially the youth, can draw inspiration from his indomitable patriotism. Netaji's slogan 'Jai Hind' is the declaration of our national pride."

Nari Shakti

Lauding the performance of women who have brough laurels to the nation in the past year, including the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, the President said that “our daughters have set new benchmarks globally.”

“Our women are breaking traditional stereotypes and forging ahead. They are actively contributing to the overall development of the country. More than ten crore women associated with self-help groups are redefining the process of development. Women are making their mark in every field, from agriculture to space, from self-employment to the armed forces,” President Murmu said.

“In the field of sports, our daughters have set new benchmarks globally. Last year in November, the daughters of India scripted a golden chapter in sporting history by winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup and subsequently the Blind Women's T20 World Cup. Last year, the final match of the Chess World Cup was played between two Indian women. These examples are a testament to the dominance of India's daughters in the world of sports. The people of the country are proud of them,” she continued.

Emphasizing on the role of women in local self government in the country, the President said that the role of ‘Nari Shakti’ will be crucial in realising the spirit of 'Viksit Bharat.' 

“The number of women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions is nearly 46 percent. The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', which seeks to take political empowerment of women to greater heights, will provide unprecedented strength to the idea of women-led development. The role of Nari Shakti will be crucial in the making of Viksit Bharat. With increasing contribution by women, our country will set an example of an inclusive Republic based on gender equality,” President Murmu said.

The annual address by the President usually sets the tone for the Republic Day celebrations as it shares powerful insights on India’s democratic journey, its achievements so far and lays down the future goals of the country.

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