Will be a pilgrim in our march to glory: Pranab
“We tried to build a humane and happy township,” said Pranab Mukherjee in his last address to the nation as the president, summing up his five years in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. “But I have no sermon to make. For the past fifty years of my public life, my sacred text has been the Constitution of India; My temple has been the Parliament of India; and My passion has been the service of the people of India,” he said.
“During my five years in Rashtrapati Bhavan, we tried to build a humane and happy township. We found happiness that is associated with joy and pride, smiling and laughter, good health, feeling of safety and positive actions,” he added.
The President said they learnt “to wear a smile”, to “laugh at life” and to “connect with nature” and get “involved” with the community.
“Then we extended our experience to a few villages in the neighbourhood. The journey continues,” he said.
He recollected a speech he had delivered on the eve of Independence day on 2012 in which he said, “India asks each one of us in whatever role we play in the complex drama of nation building” to do their duty with integrity, commitment and loyalty enshrined in the Constitution. “When I speak to you tomorrow, it will not be as the President but as a citizen — a pilgrim like all of you in India’s onward march towards glory,” he said.