Modi Underlines Government’s Vision to “Transform” India through “Reforms and Perform”
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 15: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid down the massive opportunities lying before India and his government’s vision for the country’s development to make India a developed nation by 2047 and took a swipe at the political rivals virtually setting out the BJP’s 2024 Parliamentary election agenda of “reform, perform and transform.”
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort after unfurling the national flag to celebrate the country’s 77th Independence Day, Modi, who was delivering his 10th consecutive Independence Day speech, expressed his full confidence that his party would win the coming elections and he would be back to address the nation as the prime minister on the next year’s Independence Day.
The Prime Minister opened his speech with an ode to freedom fighters and within minutes touched upon the situation in Manipur. Expressing anguish at the crimes against women in the state, a reference to the viral video of two Kuki women being paraded naked by a mob, the PM said the entire nation stands with Manipur. He assured that peace is returning to the north-eastern state.
“In the last few weeks, Manipur witnessed a wave of violence. Several people lost their lives, and our mothers and sisters were dishonoured. But, peace is slowly returning to the region. India stands with Manipur,” he said.
Donning a Bandhej Safa headgear from Rajasthan, which goes to polls later this year, Modi’s 90-minute speech was peppered with political messages and confidence about his party’s electoral prospects.
Highlighting the importance of women in the society, he also pointed at the women-led development witnessed in the country in last five years. He mentioned how girls are outperforming boys academically in STEM and announced the formation of 15,000 women self-help groups in the near future.
He added that it was his dream to empower two crore women entrepreneurs. “The one thing that will take the country forward is women-led development. Today, we can proudly say that India has the maximum number of pilots in civil aviation. Women scientists are leading the Chandrayaan mission,” he said. In last year’s speech, too, the PM had asked Indians to “respect women” and “support nari Shakti”.
Underlining that the 140 crore people of India were his “Parivarjan” (family members), the Prime Minister urged fellow citizens not to lose the opportunity to realise the country’s potential as the decisions and sacrifices made in this period will impact the country for the next 1,000 years. Modi attacked the opposition over issues of corruption, dynastic politics and appeasement.
India is at a decisive turning point and has the strength to shape the new world order that was emerging in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, he said and assured the countrymen of a “New India” with a bright future in next five years. The Prime Minister said the government would launch ‘Vishwakarma Yojana’ with an allocation of ₹13,000 crore to ₹15,000 crore for those with traditional skills. The scheme would be launched next month, on Vishwakarma Jayanti, he said.
He said the government would soon launch a scheme to provide relief in bank loans to those dreaming of their own house in cities. The scheme would be for middle-class families living in cities but do not own a house.
On a day that marked the culmination of the government’s Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of Independence, Prime Minister equated Amrit kaal with Kartavya kaal — meaning the “time of duty”. He said the decision of today will bear fruit over 1,000 years.
Setting a target of 2047 to make India a developed nation, the Prime Minister said the next five years would be crucial to ensure that the country’s aspirations are met by the time it celebrates 100 years of Independence.
The Prime Minister underlined how India’s demographic strength, coupled with its democracy and diversity, can help power its development journey. The convergence of these three can fulfil the country’s dreams, he said.
The Prime Minister said putting the nation first forms the basis of every decision of his government. The centre, he says, aims to ensure that every single penny of taxpayers’ money is used for their welfare.
Taking a veiled swipe at Opposition forces, the Prime Minister said the country’s mission should be to eradicate the evils of corruption, dynasty and appeasement which he said will be hurdles to its goals. The Prime Minister spelt out three guarantees – to ensure India was among the country’s top three economies, easy loans for building homes and 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras for medicines at low costs.
Praising the role of women self-help groups in taking development and welfare measures to remote corners, he said it is now his goal to make “2 crore lakhpati didis” by empowering women. He said the government would take steps to achieve this goal. The government, the Prime Minister said has its policies clear and its intent clean to ensure all-round development. Only a policy of ensuring everyone’s well-being can help us become a developed nation, he said.
The Prime Minister said the centre is taking steps to ensure higher studies in regional languages. He thanked the Supreme Court for its steps to make operative part of judgments available in regional languages.
Stressing how India helped out other countries during the Covid pandemic, the Prime Minister said, “India is the world’s friend who does not think just about itself. After Covid, India advocated for ‘One Earth, One Health’ approach,” he said.
Highlighting the “track record” of his government, he recounted various efforts made to empower people and develop the nation. “Our track record attests to the fact that India fulfils what it resolves,” Modi said, citing successes in meeting various targets. It is ‘Modi’s guarantee’ that India will become the third-largest global economy in the next five years, he added.
Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and three service chiefs. As soon as the national flag was hoisted by the Prime Minister, flower petals were showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III Dhruv of the Indian Air Force.
Around 1,800 people from different professions — nurses, sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, teachers, farmers, and fishermen — were invited as special guests for the programme in line with the government’s vision of “Jan Bhagidari.”
The celebrations at the Red Fort were held under strict security, with the deployment of 1,000 facial recognition cameras, anti-drone systems, and over 10,000 police personnel.
Modi highlighted the steps against corruption taken by his government. “My government weeded out 10 crore fake beneficiaries of welfare schemes, and seizure of ill-gotten assets rose by 20 times,” he said. “This is an India that is full of self-confidence… Ye Bharat na rukta hai, na thakta hai, na haanfta hai aur na hi haarta hai (This India doesn’t stop, doesn’t tire, doesn’t pant and doesn’t lose).”
The Prime Minister also made a strong pitch against nepotism and dynasty politics, calling it the second evil. Urging India to get rid of dynastic politics, Modi targeted “few political parties” whose mantra, he said, was “party of the family, by the family and for the family.” “Today, parivarvaad (dynasty politics) and appeasement have destroyed our country. How can a political party have only one family in charge?” he asked.
Shifting gears, Modi shared a vision for the next 25 years and a guarantee that India would be among the top three economies in the world in the next five years. Summing up his nine years in power, the PM said it was ‘parivartan’ (change) that drove him in 2014 and ‘performance’ in 2019, but it would his vision for 2047 that would drive his next tenure.
