India's 13th President, Pranab Mukherjee, addressed the nation for the last time on Monday (July 24th) evening. In his farewell speech, the President reminded the values of democracy and also gave the basis for the foundation of a better future.

The President said, "I express gratitude towards the people of India who believed so much to me. I have got back more than I have given to this country. I will always be indebted to the people of India."

The President further said, "For development to come true, the poor of the country should feel that they are also part of the mainstream." Mukherjee said, "5 years ago, when I took the oath of office, Then I vowed to preserve and protect the constitution. On every five days of these five years, I was aware of my responsibility. How successful I was to fulfill my responsibilities, its decision will take time, from history glasses. In the past fifty years of public life, my holy book has been a constitution. The Parliament of India has been my temple and it is my passion to serve the people.

In his farewell speech, the President explained the need for debate in democracy and asked to stay away from violence. He said, "India's soul resides in pluralism and tolerance. Over the centuries, our society has become versatile with the exchange of ideas. Such diversity in culture, belief and language makes India special. We get our strength from tolerance, it has been a part of our collective consciousness for centuries. There can be different opinions in public life, we can argue, we can agree, we can disagree, but we can not ignore the presence of different opinions. Otherwise an original character of our thinking will disappear somewhere. We have to free public life from any kind of violence, physical or sexual intercourse. Only a non-violent society can ensure the participation of all sections in the democratic process."

Mukherjee said, "Our universities should not be the only place to beat the rattles but there is a combination of the best minds. We have to raise the poor from the poor and ensure that the benefits of our policies reach the last person. Elimination of poverty will result in prosperity.

Mukherjee said at the end of the speech, "During our five years in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, we tried to make a human and prosperous nation. Tomorrow, when I will talk to you, like a citizen, it is like a pilgrimage that is taking India to the summit."

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