Republic Day: Kerala Guv says Centre, states not enemies, should work together for Viksit Bharat
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Monday said Centre and states were not enemies and that they should working jointly for the country's development.
He unfurled the national flag to mark the 77th Republic Day celebrations at the Central Stadium here.
Later, inspecting the parade, the Governor received the salute from various police and armed forces contingents.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other state ministers also attended the event.
In his speech after the parade, Arlekar said the Centre and the states were not enemies and must work unitedly.
He said that in a parliamentary form of democracy, it does not mean that the Centre and the states should function in opposing roles.
"We are not enemies — neither the Centre nor the states. Everyone has to follow the path of coming together, hand in hand, for the progress of this country. Only then can we achieve Viksit Bharat (developed India)," Arlekar said.
He said coordinated efforts were required to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
"The aim of achieving Viksit Bharat can be realised only through Viksit Kerala," he said.
He also congratulated the recipients of the Padma awards and remembered former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
"Achuthanandan created a legacy not only in the political field but also in the social sphere," Arlekar said.
He appealed to the people of Kerala to actively participate in the upcoming Assembly elections and exercise their franchise.
"Let us show that Kerala is moving towards 100 per cent voting this time. Voting is not just a privilege and a duty, but also a right" he said.
Earlier, in his Republic Day message, the governor called upon citizens to commit themselves to the goal of Viksit Bharat and highlighted the enduring significance of Vande Mataram as a symbol of national integration and inspiration.
Arlekar said India's performance as a nation was rooted in its ethos and traditions, adding that the country is the world's oldest democracy. It is regarded as the "mother of democracy".
"That is why the world is watching India's performance," he said, adding that the nation has great expectations from the next generation and future leaders.
India was moving ahead without obstacles and emerging as a global leader in several fields, he said, while stressing that the past should not be forgotten.
"This democratic form of governance has been achieved by the people themselves. As stated in our Constitution — ‘We, the People’ — we dedicate the Constitution to ourselves," he said.
He said India had never envisioned itself as a theocratic nation and had declared that every religion, belief and path would be respected and allowed to flourish, calling it the beauty of India's cultural democracy.
Referring to economic growth, Arlekar said it was often argued that democracies could not grow as fast as other systems, but India had disproved that notion.
"For many years now, we have shown that even as a democracy, we can grow economically at a high pace. We are the fastest-growing major economy in the world and will become a developed nation in the near future," he said.
He said this achievement was not an overnight miracle but the result of sustained contributions by the people towards economic and social progress, adding that the nation was grateful to all its people.
Speaking about Kerala, the Governor said the state was indebted to its earlier generations of leaders and reformers who laid a strong cultural foundation. He said Kerala had always been considered a leader in dharma, culture and modern fields such as education, healthcare and social reform.
He said Kerala had led the country in several areas, including digitalisation, and that the state government's digitisation efforts had yielded positive results.
"Our tradition and modernisation have come together to strengthen our economy and society. Kerala has once again shown the way in agriculture, industry and educational reforms," he said.
Noting that Kerala is a 100 per cent literate state, Arlekar said the state should continue to lead in this field while striving for excellence in other sectors.
Recalling the national song Vande Mataram, the Governor said it had been deeply ingrained in the minds and hearts of the people and had inspired generations in the freedom struggle. He noted that the song is completing 150 years this year.
"Let us celebrate 150 years of Vande Mataram with great joy, as it has always guided and inspired us," he said.
Meanwhile, the Republic Day parade was led by first-in-command Wing Commander Vikas Vasisht of the Indian Air Force and second-in-command Captain Abhishek Dube of the Indian Army.
Platoons from the Indian Army's Madras Regiment Battalion, Indian Air Force, Malabar Special Armed Police, India Reserve Battalion, Kerala Women Police, Rapid Response and Rescue Team, Thiruvananthapuram City Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Excise and Forest departments, Sainik School, NCC cadets, National Service Scheme volunteers, Students Police Cadets, Bharat Scouts and Guides, and Aswarooda Sena took part in the parade.
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Adityanath hails Lucknow-born astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on Ashoka Chakra honour
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday congratulated Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, a native of Lucknow, on being conferred the Ashoka Chakra, saying his courage and composure has given a new thrust to India's human spaceflight programme.
President Droupadi Murmu honoured Shukla with the country's highest peacetime gallantry award on the 77th Republic Day at Kartavya Path in New Delhi for his "indomitable courage and outstanding valour" in successfully carrying the Axiom Mission-4 to the International Space Station (ISS).
"Your fearlessness, commitment and restraint have given a new flight to India's human space programme," the chief minister said in a Hindi post on X.
Shukla's achievement would continue to inspire future generations to move ahead in the fields of science and research, he added.
In June last year, Shukla created history by becoming the first Indian to set foot on the ISS and the second Indian to travel to space, 41 years after the legendary Rakesh Sharma's 1984 mission.
Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government also honoured Shukla on various occasions for his accomplishments last year. Most recently, on January 24, he was among five luminaries of the state conferred with the UP "Gaurav Samman" on the occasion of the statehood day.
Shukla was part of the Axiom-4 mission, executed by US-based private firm Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). During his 18-day stay aboard the ISS, he conducted a series of advanced scientific experiments that drew praise from global space experts.
An accomplished fighter pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience on aircraft, including the Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar and Hawk, Shukla was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in June 2006.
