I-Day 2023: Prez Murmu pays tributes at National War Memorial

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu laid a wreath and paid tributes at the National War Memorial in the national capital on the occasion of77th Independence Day.

Earlier, in her address to the nation on the eve of the 77th Independence Day, President Murmu on Monday said that "each one of us is an equal citizen, and each one of us has an equal opportunity, equal rights and equal duties in this land."

The President asserted that there is one identity above all-- that is everyone is a citizen of India. In her address to the nation, President Murmu said, "My heartiest greetings to all of you on our 77th Independence Day! It is a glorious and auspicious occasion for all of us. I am overjoyed to see that festivity is in the air. It is a matter of delight as well as pride for us to see how everyone – children, youth and the elderly, in cities and villages, everywhere in India – is excited and preparing to celebrate this festival of our freedom. The people have been celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ with great enthusiasm."

She said that the Independence Day celebrations remind her of her childhood days. "We could not contain our excitement about participating in the Independence Day celebrations in our village school. When the tricolour was hoisted, we felt an electrifying energy pass through us. With our hearts full of patriotic pride, we saluted the national flag and sang the national anthem. Sweets were distributed and patriotic songs were sung, which kept playing in our minds for many days," President Murmu said. She added that she was fortunate in having an opportunity to relive these experiences when she became a school teacher.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag as the nation marks its 77th Independence Day. Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, PM Modi was received by Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane.

This year’s Independence Day will culminate the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, which were launched by the Prime Minister from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021, and will, once again, usher the country into ‘Amrit Kaal’ with renewed vigour to realise PM Modi’s dream of making India a developed country by 2047.