Hon'ble Minister of Road Transport and Highways & the President of IMT, Mr. Kamal Nath, remarked once, ‘We no longer discuss the future of India. We say: “The future is India”.’
Positive change has been a long time coming for India, but today, I believe, because of the way India has responded to the Joy of Giving Week; because of the manner it has succeeded in appealing the hearts of Indians; because of the style in which it has imbibed the seeds of GIVING into the brains of Indians and because of the fashion in which it has made us run towards a style statement of GIVING; change has come to India.
And Mr. Sivaraman, CEO of Philips India, in a lecture that I attended today, commented, "If we have our brain, heart and legs all working together in sync, nothing can impede our run towards our dream."
The Joy of Giving Week has attested our belief in the nation.
The nation which rewards all its citizens.
The nation which worships the faith of the anonymous good doers.
The nation which witnesses a congregation of corporates, colleges, schools, NGOs, celebrities, media houses, etc. unitedly contributing towards acts of GIVING.
The nation which provides dignity and self-worth to all the deserving individuals.
The nation which provides an opportunity to Raghu- a handicapped, poor guy with a colossal determination of doing something for the society- to become a national icon.
The nation which provides a chance to Rahul- a slum kid with enormous talent- to study in a top school and to sit next to Ex-President Dr. Abdul Kalam.
The nation which incessantly provides ignition to the young minds.
The nation whose citizens get jitters when they see some injustice.
The nation whose young brigade is screeching and squealing to fly.
The nation which becomes one while GIVING.
The Joy of Giving Week has showcased the solidarity of the Indians. These seeds of oneness would be ripened and Indians would rise as one people.
I congratulate each and every individual who proactively stood up and took part in the Joy of Giving Week. You have not only got counted, you’ve grabbed the opportunities, seized the challenges and squeezed them- HARD- by their necks...!!!
And I know you didn't do this for yourself and I know you didn't do it for a few smiles. You did it because you understand the vastness of the task that lies ahead. For as we celebrate the festival of GIVING, we are now confident enough to face any challenges and stand out victorious.
We can now be confident about India growing and gleaming with the virtue of GIVING imbibed into all the citizens; with the positive vibes seen and felt in the air during such festivals.
I believe, the day is not far when we would celebrate all the festivals in India by experiencing the JOY OF GIVING. And as we know, India is a land of festivals. Then each day would be a JOY OF GIVING DAY, each week a JOY OF GIVING WEEK, each month a JOY OF GIVING MONTH and each year a JOY OF GIVING YEAR.
“History, they say, is a bad motorist. You can rarely see it turn a page.”
Now, that rare moment has arrived when we all have to synergize our efforts and witness India turning a page of its history. Let’s create a roadmap for India towards this historical moment.
India shall no more be poised then. India would no more speak in a tiny little voice at the back of the head; India would no more look down at the bottom of the ravine and India would no more hesitate.
There would just be one India, looking up at the sky and roaring- “It’s time to fly.”
