Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Sikh delegation at his residence

Published By : Admin | April 29, 2022 | 17:30 IST
“Going to Gurudwaras, spending time in ‘sewa’, getting langar, staying at the homes of Sikh families has been a part of my life”
“Our Gurus have taught us courage and service”
“New India is scaling new dimensions and is leaving its mark on the whole world”
“I have always considered our Indian diaspora as ‘Rashtrdoot’ of India. All of you are the strong voice and lofty identity of Maa Bharati abroad”
“Feet of Gurus sanctified this great land and inspired its people”
“Sikh tradition is a living tradition of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’”
​​​​​​​“Sikh community is synonymous with the courage, prowess and hard work of the country”

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today hosted a Sikh delegation at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the Prime Minister. The group included people from different walks of life. Union Minister, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri was among those present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister recalled his long association with the Sikh community. “Going to Gurudwaras, spending time in ‘sewa’, getting langar, staying at the homes of Sikh families has been a part of my life. The feet of Sikh saints keep falling from time to time in the Prime Minister's residence here. I keep getting the good fortune of their company”, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister also recalled his visits to the places of Sikh heritage all over the world during his visits abroad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “our Gurus have taught us courage and service. The people of India have gone to different parts of the world without any resources and achieved success through their labour. This is the spirit of New India today too”, he said.

Reiterating his appreciation for the mood of new India, the Prime Minister said New India is scaling new dimensions and is leaving its mark on the whole world. Period of Corona epidemic is the biggest example of this. At the beginning of the epidemic, people with old mindset were expressing concerns about India. But now, people are giving the example of India for its handling of the pandemic. Earlier concerns were being voiced over the enormity of  population of India and many were doubtful about vaccine for Indians. But today India has emerged as the biggest vaccine maker. “You will also be proud to hear that 99 percent of the vaccination has been done through our own Made in India Vaccines” ,he said.

The Prime Minister said in this difficult period, India has emerged as one of the world’s largest start up ecosystems. “The number of our unicorns is constantly increasing. This growing stature and credibility of India provides maximum satisfaction and pride to our diaspora”, he added. The Prime Minister said “I have always considered our Indian diaspora as Rashtrdoot of India. All of you are the strong voice and lofty identity of Maa Bharati abroad.” He said even diaspora feels proud about the strides of growth that India is taking. “Wherever we are in the world, ‘India First’ needs to be our primary faith, he added.

Bowing to the great contribution and sacrifices of the Gurus, the Prime Minister recalled how Guru Nanak Dev ji awakened the consciousness of the entire nation and brought the nation out of darkness and took it on the path of light. He said that the Gurus travelled all over India and everywhere there are their signs and inspirations. They are revered and there is faith in them everywhere. The Prime Minister said that the feet of Gurus sanctified this great land and inspired its people. Sikh tradition is a living tradition of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat’, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed the county’s gratitude for Sikh Community’s contribution during the freedom struggle and after Independence. He said that ‘Sikh community is synonymous with the courage, prowess and hard work of the country’.

The Prime Minister once again elaborated on his vision of India’s freedom struggle. He said that this struggle is not confined to a limited period but is a manifestation of thousands of years of consciousness, ideals, spiritual values and ‘tapasya’.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness on the good fortune of being associated with the landmark events like Guru Teg Bahadur’s 400th Prakash Purab, Guru Nanak Devji’s 550th  Prakash Purab and Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s 350th Prakash Purab. He also said that events like construction of Kartarpur Corridor, making langars tax free, FCRA permission for Harmandir Sahib and improving infrastructure and cleanliness around Gurudwaras have been done in the tenure of this government.

The Prime Minister referred to the Gurus’ emphasis on duty and linked it with the same emphasis on sense of duty in the Amrit Kaal and said mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas is an evocation of this spirit. He said this sense of duty is important not only for the present but also for our future generations. He praised the Sikh community for being always active for the causes of environment, nutrition, and protection of cultural values. He concluded by requesting the gathering to contribute in the recently launched campaign for Amrit Sarovars.

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Friends,

In this series of post-budget webinars, today marks the fourth and most significant one. Fulfilling aspirations of people is not merely a subject of discussion-it is the core objective of this budget and the firm resolve of this government. Education, Skill, Health, Tourism, Sports, and Culture are fundamental sectors that serve as the major means of fulfilling these aspirations. Therefore, in this webinar, we are deliberating on these crucial dimensions. For the implementation of budget announcements, the thoughts and suggestions of all experts, policymakers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and my young companions present here are extremely important. I warmly welcome and greet you all in this fourth session of the budget webinar.

Friends,

India today is working on a vast vision for preventive and holistic health. In recent years, the country’s health infrastructure has been strengthened, with hundreds of new medical colleges opening across districts. Through the Ayushman Bharat scheme and wellness centers, healthcare services have expanded to villages nationwide. Our yoga and Ayurveda are gaining popularity across the world. You will certainly discuss various aspects of this, but I would like to highlight one important subject-the care economy. In the coming decade, the number of senior citizens in the country will rise rapidly. Moreover, even today, many countries across the world face a huge demand for caregivers. Therefore, in the health sector, new skill-based employment opportunities are emerging for millions of youth. I urge the health sector experts present in this webinar to suggest new training models and partnerships so that the training ecosystem in the country can be further strengthened.

Friends,

Closely related to this is the subject of telemedicine. Today, a large number of people in remote areas are benefiting from it, and trust in it is steadily growing. However, I believe there is still a great need to increase awareness and ease of access in this area.

Friends,

Over the past decade, a major transformation has taken place in the mindset of the country. Today, beyond the boundaries of villages, towns, and cities, every young Indian wants to do something new, driven by the spirit to achieve. This new mindset of the new generation is the nation’s greatest strength, its most valuable capital for a bright future. To capitalize on this, we must continuously modernize and upgrade our education system. The new education policy has laid the necessary foundation for this. Now, it is essential that our curriculum remains updated according to market needs! We must accelerate the process of linking our education system with the real-world economy. We need to place greater focus on subjects like AI and automation, digital economy, and design-driven manufacturing.

Friends,

The country is consistently working to connect education with employment and enterprise. New models like university townships reflect this approach. Today, India is promoting the A.V.G.C. sector-Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics. India is moving towards an innovation-driven economy. Many academicians and academic institutions are connected to this webinar today. I urge you to deliberate on developing your campuses as centers of industry collaboration and research-driven learning. This will provide students with real-world exposure and strengthen the skill ecosystem.

Friends,

A very important subject is STEM-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is a matter of great pride that the number of daughters showing interest in STEM subjects is steadily increasing in our country. As we prepare for futuristic technologies, it is crucial that no daughter is held back due to lack of opportunities. In this webinar, you must discuss this direction. We need to place greater emphasis on increasing women’s participation. We must build a research ecosystem where young researchers have full opportunities to experiment and work on new ideas.

Friends,

Youth power becomes national power only when it is healthy, disciplined, and full of self-confidence. That is why, in recent years, sports have been seen as an important stream of national development. Initiatives like Khelo India have infused new energy into the sports ecosystem of the country. Sports infrastructure is being strengthened across the nation. In this webinar, you must deliberate on some key questions: How can talent be identified more accurately even from small towns and villages? How can structured financial support for thousands of athletes be improved? And thirdly, how can our sports bodies be made more professional? In the coming years, the Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the country is striving to host the Olympics. In such a scenario, we must identify young athletes at an early age and nurture them, only then will India be able to raise its flag high in international competitions.

Friends,

Tourism and culture play a major role in creating new employment opportunities. When tourism grows in a place, the branding of that location or city also increases. This accelerates the overall development of that city. India has no shortage of historical sites. But for a long time, tourism remained confined to a few select destinations. Now, we are focusing on developing tourist destinations across every corner of the country.

Friends,

In this webinar, you must discuss a holistic approach to strengthening India’s tourism ecosystem. Your suggestions on trained guides, hospitality skills, digital connectivity, community participation, cleanliness, tourism, and related subjects will be very important.

Friends,

When institutions, industry, and academia work together, the pace of transformation accelerates. I am confident that this series of post-budget webinars will provide concrete direction for the future. Such efforts will further strengthen the foundation of a developed India. And friends, it is a very pleasant experience that due to the tradition of webinars, after the budget and especially during implementation, I have been told that this year, lakhs of people connected to these subjects-experts, beneficiaries, and those involved in the system-have actively participated in the webinars. Our officials have informed me that excellent and practical suggestions are coming in. This means not only solutions to problems but also new energy and new momentum to move forward with confidence. I say this is a very delightful experience of the webinars. All those who participated in these webinars are worthy of appreciation and gratitude. Once again, I extend my best wishes and heartfelt thanks to all of you.

Namaskar!