MESSAGE

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 struck a deep and resonant chord in India. Even though we were separated by geographical distance, the memory of our own struggle against colonial rule under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi made us deeply sensitive to the aspirations of all Hungarians for freedom. Yours was a national movement wherein all sections of society - students and intellectuals, peasants and workers, civil servants and even the Hungarian Army joined hands against a foreign authority. Though it was brutally suppressed, we were convinced even then that your struggle would eventually succeed. In a perceptive speech in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of the Indian Parliament, on November 19, 1956, our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said, "I have no doubt in my mind that sooner or later the Hungarian people, who have demonstrated so vividly their desire for freedom and for a separate Identity in which they are not overshadowed by any other country, are bound to triumph." And the Hungarian people have triumphed. 1956 demonstrates that the yearning for freedom can never be suppressed, that the human spirit will always triumph. Today, your country is a beacon for freedom and democracy. We rejoice with you as you celebrate the revolution of 1956. We also pause and bow our heads in memory of those who gave their lives to secure freedom and democracy for successive generations.

On behalf of the Government and the people of India, I extend my best wishes for the peace, prosperity and progress of the friendly people of Hungary.

(A.P.J. Abdul Kalam)

New Delhi

August 10, 2006