Bhubaneswar: Amid vibrant tricolor displays, marching contingents, and patriotic fervor, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi unfurled the national flag at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack today during the grand state-level celebrations of the 77th Republic Day.
In his address to a large gathering, the CM underscored the enduring strength of India’s Constitution, paid glowing tributes to the nation’s founding leaders, and highlighted the transformative progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance over the past decade. Speaking from the historic heart of Cuttack—the “Silver City” and a cradle of Utkal culture—CM Majhi described the venue as a symbol of Odisha’s rich heritage and social commitment.
“Today we stand on the huge heart of Cuttack… which has proudly carried its history on its shoulders,” he said. He emphasized that the Constitution has united Indians through justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, forging a unique global identity for the nation.The Chief Minister offered respectful homage to luminaries including Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Veer Savarkar, Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, crediting them for securing independence from British rule. He also remembered the sacrifices of Odisha’s sons and daughters in the freedom struggle and the formation of a separate Utkal Pradesh (Odisha), paying deepest tributes to their legacy.
Highlighting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s pivotal role as the architect of the world’s longest written Constitution, Majhi noted its adoption on November 26, 1949, and enforcement on January 26, 1950, marking India as a sovereign democratic republic. “It is not just a legal document but the heartbeat of every Indian—a mirror of our values, deeds, and life,” he described, stressing its guarantee of equal rights irrespective of caste, religion, color, or gender, alongside fundamental duties that citizens must fulfill to build an ideal society.
Reflecting on India’s democratic journey, the CM acknowledged the uninterrupted democratic governance for over 78 years (barring the Emergency period in the mid-1970s, which he termed a “dark chapter”). He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for instituting Constitution Day on November 26 since 2015 to honor Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary, and recalled Modi’s symbolic gesture of bowing to the Constitution upon entering Parliament in 2014.Majhi contrasted India’s pre-2014 economic trajectory—once derisively called the “Hindu growth rate”—with the post-2014 surge under Modi’s leadership.
“The country has become the fourth largest economy in the world and is poised to become the third,” he said. He spotlighted flagship initiatives like Make in India for self-reliance in manufacturing (“from chip to ship”), the vision of Samudra Se Samruddhi to revive maritime trade and the Blue Economy, and a host of citizen-centric schemes that have brought cleanliness, prosperity, and improved quality of life to ordinary people.
The Chief Minister described the last eleven years as a period of strengthened constitutional functioning and accelerated development, urging citizens to remain vigilant in upholding both rights and duties. The event featured impressive parades, cultural performances, and honors to outstanding officials and citizens, drawing enthusiastic crowds to Barabati Stadium. CM Majhi’s speech resonated with themes of unity, constitutional pride, and forward-looking optimism for Odisha and India.
