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There is so much that
has been achieved. And
there is so much that re-
mains to be done. As a so-
ciety develops, its goals be-
come precise. In Himachal
Pradesh, there is pride in
having achieved substan-
tial access to schools for
girls and boys. Other states
too have made strides in
school enrolment. The
next target is not school
Президентът Рам Натх Ковинд enrolment but educational
President Ram Nath Kovind attainment.
Our children reach
charming animals and the greenery, the proud classrooms, but how much do they learn? How
deodar and oak trees, the laughter of little children do we equip them for the Fourth Industrial Age?
– this was Mashobra’s very own paradise. I was These are questions that trouble every parent and
experiencing nature at its most divine. I was also grandparent. Similarly, like schools have become
experiencing nature at its most caring. The Sanctu- widespread, can health-care too not become a basic
ary nurtures Shimla and its people. It cares for us that we provide all our people? These are searching
as only Mother Nature can. Nature loves us and we issues. We need to resolve them for every Indian.
love it back. Irrespective of region or religion, whether from a
Sometimes even a simple visit provides food for farming family or an industrial township.
thought. Many ideas passed my mind. If nature nur- Here too nature has a message for us. The Wild-
tures us, what do we do to nurture it? What do we life Sanctuary I visited does not distinguish between
do? What can we do? What must we do to ensure one and the other. It provides water to all. Its trees
that nature is available, as a resource and as a friend, provide shade to all. Its clean air nourishes all. Fra-
to future generations? This led to another stream of ternity and compassion are written into nature’s
thought: are we mindful of our responsibilities for DNA. Whatever else we do as a society, that sense
our future generations? For our children? of compassion and fraternity, of civility and mutual
In a few weeks, on October 2, we begin the dignity cannot be removed from our hopes and
commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of dreams for India.
Mahatma Gandhi. This is a national celebration. Nature does not compartmentalise. Its instinct
So will be, in 2022, the 75th anniversary of our is integrative and holistic. Nature promotes mutua-
Independence. No doubt there will be meaning- lism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters
ful initiatives that will form part of these landmark quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees pro-
moments. Yet, as a society, we need to think in the vide a welcoming home to so many birds and ani-
longer term. What will India be like at 100 – in mals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness. And
2047? What sort of India will mark Gandhiji’s bi- there is an almost cosmic bond that allows every
centenary in 2069? living being, small and big, silent and loud, to live in
We don’t know the answers. But what we do harmony, to flourish and to thrive. Human beings
today – the social, intellectual, ethical and ecologi- can learn from this.
cal investments that today’s generation makes – will India is nature’s favourite child. Let us, let each
help determine the answers. It is we who will deter- one of us, make that rhythm and that together-
mine the capacities of those who will build India in ness – and that quest for every individual to be able
the next 25 to 50 years. It is we who will determine to fulfil his or her dream and destiny – a national
whether the rivers and mountains and forests, with movement. We owe it to India and we owe it every
us for millennia, will still be available in all their Indian. We owe it to our today; and much more, we
glory for succeeding generations. owe it to our tomorrow. 1

1 A post on the Facebook Page of the President of India, May 25th, 2018.