On the morning of Sunday 22nd September 2013 Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora during the Annual National Convention of the USA Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) via videoconference. Shri Narendra Modi called for the uprooting of the Central Government and called for working towards a progressive BJP Government in 2014. He affirmed that these elections are not about any person or post but they are about dreams of the people, to wipe the tears of the poor and to work for the welfare of our farmers, the marginalized and tribal communities. Shri Modi also added that while individuals come and go, it is the Nation that is eternal and said that everybody must work for the nation.
Shri Narendra Modi began his speech by unequivocally condemning the unfortunate attack at a mall in Nairobi where several people including Indians lost their lives. He said that there is no question of having different yardsticks in the case of terrorism and said that it is wrong for some nations to be selective on this. Shri Modi called for spreading Mahatma Gandhi’s message of peace and humanity and he expressed confidence that the Kenyan Government will uproot the elements who committed this crime.
Referring to the Lok Sabha Elections of 2014 Shri Modi said, “2014 is not being fought by any leader or any party but it is being fought by the people for their rights and dreams. All this debate surrounding ‘he is fighting’ ‘he is fighting’ is wrong! This election will be about the manifesto of the people who want peace and prosperity not the manifesto of parties.” Drawing a comparison to the historic elections of 1977 Shri Modi avowed, “ The elections after the Emergency were not fought by leaders of parties. Neither did papers ad pundits influence them. It was the people’s voice. Like 1977, 2014 will be the voice of the people.”
Shri Modi stated on a day like this, it is natural to remember the NDA Government under Atal ji and Advani ji, under whose tenure the growth rate was high, prices were low, there was friendship with neighbours and a trust was created among the people. He added that it was during the NDA era that the world saw India as a nation who would scale new heights during the 21st century but that dream was shattered after the NDA lost office. Shri Modi pointed that in the last nine years the nation has moved backwards, which makes it natural for any citizen to feel concerned.
Lauding the Karyakartas of the BJP, Shri Modi said that it is the Karyakartas who is the strength of the BJP due to which the Party got a chance to serve the people in a very short time since its formation. He stated, “Parties took decades to win power but BJP got the opportunity to serve the people in years of its formation. To win the trust of the people is not a small thing and the BJP won the people’s trust due to their Karyakartas. The nation did not know how we would work but they knew that our Karyakartas will serve.” He expressed confidence that if there is one party that can rid India of all its current problems it is the BJP.
He also lauded the contribution of the BJP Karyakartas in the various states the BJP got to serve. Shri Modi affirmed, “If NDA had failed under Atal ji and Advani ji who would have remembered it? If Sunderlal Patwa ji or Shivraj ji would have failed in Madhya Pradesh who would have remembered BJP? Dr. Raman Singh ji in Chhattisgarh, Bhairon Singh ji Shekhawat, Vasundhara ji…they won the trust of the people.” Likewise, he said that the people remember the good work of the BJP Governments in Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Bihar even today. This is because the BJP Karyakartas have the aspiration of the people in their hearts, Shri Modi opined. Modi ji affirmed that from Communist Government to the Congress to dynastic parties the nation has seen all types of Governments in the last 60 years but it is the NDA Governments that have created trust in the minds of the people.
Shri Modi stressed on the need of not wasting time on mindless criticism but going among the people and talking about the good work done by the NDA Government. Comparing the NDA with the UPA he pointed, “Every Government must tell the people what they have done for it. Shivraj ji is going to the villages telling people. Dr. Raman Singh ji is covering the length and breadth of Chhattisgarh but see the arrogance of the Government in Delhi. They are in power for nine years but is even one leader of theirs ready to tell the people what they have done?” He also said, “As soon as I will finish my speech they will start, Modi said this, this is what is happening in Gujarat but, Modi has given answers to the people in December 2012 and the people chose the BJP to serve them.”
During his speech, Shri Modi also attacked the vested interest groups that have spread canards and protected all the wrongs of the Congress. He pointed, “Right now there was a terrible calamity in Uttarakhand. People from all states lost their lives. The same happened during the Gujarat Earthquake but did you see the coverage of the two instances then and now? This is because there is a vested interest group that is a Raksha Kavach for the Congress. This vested interest group is active and come 2014 we have to fight both the Congress and this vested interest group. The fight is no doubt big but the dreams of our people are bigger.”
Modi ji gave a clarion call to the people to use the www.india272.com platform as the 2014 elections approach. He shared that very often people come to him asking for opportunities to work and that this is the platform to work and contribute. He added that one does not need to go to leaders or wait for anything else but they need to start working on India272 platform.
Watch : A Short Film on the Innovative Volunteering Platform, India272+
Shri Modi also spoke about the importance of voter registration among members of the diaspora. He shared that during the Gujarat Elections there were only two external electors, which was not a good thing. He urged all NRIs who retain their Indian passports to register as voters and added that information surrounding this could also be obtained on the India272 platform. He said that a youngster should remember the time he became an eligible voter just like the first day at school or a college graduation.
A large number of NRIs had gathered to hear Shri Modi speak. Despite being early in the morning in India, enthusiastic netizens were there in large numbers to listen to Shri Modi’s inspiring address.
