India may present a perplexing spectacle of diverse cultural practices, but a deep underlying common thread of cultural ethos bind 1.3 billion people together. This binding unity helped us teach the world great lessons in peaceful co-existence. Bharatha Matha is the embodiment of wisdom,matched only by the mighty Himalayas. She is the abode of humility, reflected in the soulful flow of her perennial rivers. Describing India, Mark Twain said, "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!"

Bharatha Matha is an encompassing entity; home, happiness, love, freedom, variety, all go together here. All of us are fortunate to inherit the time-tested values evoking humaneness and patriotic fervor, which incessantly inspire us to give our best to the nation. However, we have a responsibility to pass-on,instill and inculcate these values amongst the youth of the nation, enhance their sense of belonging towards the motherland and reinforce their patriotic vigor. What could be a better occasion than the Republic Day to launch this mission? So let us come together on this Republic day to express our gratitude to Bharatha Matha with a Maha Harathi.