NEW DELHI, Aug 14: With a grand midnight session in Parliament, a laser show, fire-works and an emotional march by freedom fighters, the nation crossed the landmark of 50 years of its Independence.

Rajpath and Vijay Chowk were bedecked with the tricolours as the crowds descended to celebrate the historic occasion. The Capital was awash with the colours of freedom and buildings and monuments were illuminated. A 100-ft-high air balloon in the shape of the Trimurti and the Ashok Chakra was displayed on the Parliament House grounds.

Thousands of people had begun gathering at the India Gate lawns for the March of the Nation early in the evening. And at Vijay Chowk, the music maestro from Madras, AR Rahman, waved the baton to create the rhythm of freedom and celebration.

The highlight of the midnight session at Parliament was not the speeches but the grand old lady of Indian music, Lata Mangeshkar, singing with patriotic fervour.

At the session, in his address to the nation, President KR Narayanan said corruption was corroding the vitals of ``our politics and our society'', and asked the people to be in the forefront of the fight against corruption, communalism, casteism and criminalisation of politics.

Delivering his maiden address to the nation from the packed Central Hall of Parliament, he said a social movement or a widespread national movement was needed to cleanse the system.

Stating that he was ``painfully aware of the deterioration that has taken place in our country,'' the President said, ``sheer opportunism and value-less power politics have taken over the place of principles and idealism... Violence has increased... Social evils like the ill-treatment of women and the weaker sections like the scheduled castes, including atrocities against them, are on the increase.''

He termed the establishment of a democratic system of government and politics as the greatest achievement of India. ``Cannot we launch a mass movement for literacy, involving the people, the students, the teachers, public servants and the private enterprises?

In the same way, social movements are required for fighting poverty, population growth and environmental degradation. In all this I call for a new partnership between the government and the people,'' he stated.

Referring to the last 50 years, Narayanan said, ``Our achievements have been impressive in spite of many failures''. First and foremost ``we have succeeded in maintaining the unity of the nation and kept this vast country together.''

He said the time is overdue for meeting the aspirations of certain sections of society, particularly women for their economic and political empowerment. He said the lower and poorer sections of the society and the women are being drawn into the political system as active players.

The President said that ``we will have to strain our every nerve to purify our political, administrative and electoral processes and to remove the aberrations and distortions that have come into the functioning of our democracy.''

In the economic, technological and social development, the country registered significant success.

India is today considered an industrial and technological power in the world and promises to be an economic giant in the 21st century. The economic reforms and opening up of the economy have reached a decisive stage. The country has moved to a high trajectory of growth with a growth rate of seven to eight per cent of the GNP envisaged for the next five years.

The country became self-reliant in food production. However, this progress is not enough for us to take pride. ``We have to put special emphasis on the development of infrastructure and on investment. We have to give the youth of the country new opportunities, new hopes and new challenges.'' All these require hard work, discipline and units of purpose, he said.

The President extended greetings ``to the brave soldiers of the armed forces who stand guard over the remote frontiers of our land.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.