Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very happy to participate in this function organized to commemorate 500 years of the coronation of Srikrishna Devaraya - the King of the Vijayanagara Empire. We are fortunate that as our country marches ahead, we can draw inspiration from illustrious personalities in our history who have shown exemplary dedication and commitment while working for the welfare of the people. Srikrishna Devaraya was one of the great monarchs of India and his epoch has many lessons for modern day leaders and policy makers. An understanding of his achievements, enthuses us to work with greater vigour and dynamism.

At the time of his coronation in 1509, the fortunes of the Vijayanagara Empire were on the decline, but Srikrishna Devaraya succeeded in firmly consolidating its territory and authority. A pacifist by nature, he did not flinch from waging war to fortify his kingdom. He is known for "winning battles without waging wars" through his most potent weapon - diplomacy. In fact, it was during the 20 years reign of Srikrishna Devaraya, reverentially addressed as "Rayalu", that the Empire reached its zenith, extending from Cuttack in the East to Goa in the West and from the Raichur Doab in the North to the Indian Ocean in the South. It covered modern day Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu as well as many parts of Orissa and Goa.

Srikrishna Devaraya was a great statesman and an administrator. There was no discontent anywhere within his vast empire and an atmosphere of stability prevailed. In his accounts, the Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes praises Srikrishna Devaraya as a, "perfect king ... a great ruler and a man of much justice ... loved and respected by all." The basic tenet of his governance was that the king should be guided by Dharma. He should ensure the happiness of the people by listening to them and working at all times to remove their difficulties. Srikrishna Devaraya devoted considerable time and effort towards this end. In his conduct he showed kindness towards the people which won him their love and respect. To promote economic activity in his kingdom, he gave attention both to agriculture and to commerce. As a mature and a capable ruler, he understood that to make agriculture productive, cultivators needed support for keeping their lands fertile. Agriculture was encouraged both in the lowland river-basin as also in the upland areas where water was a constraint. It was a reflection of his progressive vision that he felt that however small an area may be, irrigation facilities must be provided for. He constructed a number of water tanks, canals and dams including Rama Sagar and Kalasapur near Hospet with the help of Portuguese engineers. He also recognized the importance of water supply in cities. Excavations have uncovered the remains of well-connected water distribution systems in the capital city Vijayanagara, which had consistent water supply throughout the year.

Srikrishna Devaraya was a great builder and is said to have added much to the beauty of Vijayanagara city, to make it a thriving entity representing the architectural magnificence of the Empire. Foreign travellers were impressed with the wealth as also with the variety and abundance of commodities available in its markets. Paes, when he entered the capital city, observed that it was filled with a large population and many merchants lived there because of the King's encouragement. An activity from which the Vijayanagara Kingdom benefited was from overseas trade that took place from the coasts of its peninsula. To promote commerce, considerable importance was given by Srikrishna Devaraya to improving the harbours of the empire. Trade flowed from Mediterranean and Arabian Sea ports as, well as from the Indonesian archipelago and China. As a result, the fame of the Empire spread throughout the country and in faraway lands both to the East and the West.

Srikrishna Devaraya was a man of rare accomplishments - an erudite scholar of literature and philosophy; a musician and an adept player of the Veena. Many great poets adorned his Court, among whom the Ashtadiggas were famous. He himself was a poet of a high order and is credited with having written the celebrated Mahakaavya in Telugu titled 'Amukta Maalyada'. A number of Telugu literary works such as Manu Charitra, Paarijaathaapaharanam, Kalapoornodayam and the like were written by scholars at his behest and often his period is referred to as the golden age of Telugu literature. Srikrishna Devaraya patronized not only Telugu language and literature, but also several Tamil, Kannada and Sanskrit poets received grants from him. His legacy thus is one of integration and belongs to all Indians. It is, therefore, with a sense of pride about his amazing skills that I unveiled his statute.

What are the lessons which we can draw from the legacy of Srikrishna Devaraya? First of all, it is the importance of working for the welfare of the people and to ensure that there is all round progress and prosperity. Today, India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world and counted among the major global players. Our endeavour is that progress reaches all segments of society, in particular, the marginalized and disadvantaged. We have huge amounts for social welfare and other schemes for inclusive growth. Our delivery systems must be geared up and made more effective and non-corrupt, so that benefits of welfare programmes reach them. Their voices in decision-making about development projects in their areas are being strengthened at the grass-root levels through the Panchayati Raj institutions. Democracy is, after all, a basic and an integral aspect of Indian polity. At the same time, skills should be imparted to them, so that they become empowered citizens, participating in various nation building activities.

Secondly, about 70 percent of our population still lives in rural areas. We must focus on undertaking rural development in a manner that villages become progressive economic units and agricultural productivity is increased. Agro-industries and other productive activities should be undertaken in the rural areas. This can create linkages between the agricultural and industrial sectors, which has manifold advantages. The difficulties faced by the farmers in dry-land areas, need to be addressed in a multi-pronged manner by putting in place effective water utilization practices.

Thirdly, commerce and industry have to be promoted. In a globalized world, trade and ICT are becoming increasingly important. Knowledge and innovation are the keys to the future. India has proved its leadership in the ICT sector, and with its skilled manpower, it must persist with efforts to sustain it.

Fourthly, growing urbanization requires adopting management techniques to ensure that cities are livable and have necessary civic amenities, including proper management of waste. Every citizen has a role to play in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

Lastly but importantly, we must be proud of our cultural heritage and take all steps to preserve our monuments, art and literature as also our age-old values of harmony and tolerance. India is a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious society and a country of sub-continental dimensions. May I add that just as Andhra Pradesh has contributed immensely to the progress of India, Telugu language and culture have proudly enriched the nation's landscape. As we celebrate the uniqueness of each strand of our national ethos, we must also remember that to create a strong nation, all strands have to bind together as one unit.

I congratulate Chief Minister Rosaiah for organizing this function. I also convey my good wishes to all gathered here on this important occasion to remember the contribution of Srikrishna Devaraya to the country.

Thank You.

Jai Hind!

*****

SH/LV/RK