Real salute to our Independence - Turning Swarajya to Surajya

Published By : Admin | August 14, 2012 | 15:55 IST

My Brothers and Sisters,

Vande Mataram!

15th August is a day that remains forever etched in the memory of our glorious nation, as the day when India forever bid farewell to almost 200 years of colonial subjugation and injustice. I extend my salutations to the people of India as well as the large community of overseas Indians on Independence Day.

On Independence Day, it is imperative that we pay our rich tributes to all those men and women who toiled for years and devoted their entire lives to the cause of making our Motherland free from the yoke of imperialism. Can you imagine the love they had for India that inspired these brave individuals to spend the prime of their youth in prisons, to face the gallows so that generations of future Indians could live a life of freedom, liberty and dignity?

Gujarat shares an unbreakable bond with the freedom struggle. What can be a matter of greater pride for us that we inhabit the same land and speak the same language as that of two strong pillars of the Independence movement- Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel! Shyamji Krishna Varma, who deeply inspired the revolutionary nationalists, is a proud son of Gujarat. When such distinguished individuals associated with the Independence movement have consecrated our land, our responsibility is even greater to live up to their ideals and realize their dreams!

And Gujarat has indeed risen to the occasion with determined efforts that will do our Tricolour extremely proud. The Indian flag has three colours. The first colour is Saffron, which signifies energy! By ushering in a revolution in energy sector, Gujarat has complemented the very feel of the colour Saffron. When 60 crore people and 19 states were in darkness, Gujarat was lit, sparklingly with brightness.

The second colour is White and Gujarat has realized the meaning of this colour in true sense by taking a lead in the White Revolution! Be it milk production, salt production or cotton production, Gujarat has indeed made the colour White brighter with development!

The third in the Tricolour is Green. Despite being a state struck by the issues of water shortage, Gujarat with Green Revolution has shown to the World what agriculture growth is! At a time when the nation’s agriculture is growing at 3%, Gujarat’s agriculture is growing more than 10%!

In this way, Gujarat salutes the Tricoloured Indian flag, the symbol of India’s dignity & pride by making it brighter with the colours of development!

On 15th August 1947 India was blessed with Swarajya but was not an end in itself. For our distinguished founding fathers, freedom did not mean stopping at Swarajya but to attain Surajya! 15th August cannot merely be commemorated as a day when our Flag changed or when our colonial rulers paved way for Indian administrators. It should be a call to make determined efforts towards the attainment of Surajya.

A question that comes to the mind is- are we moving towards Surajya today?  The colossal failures of the Congress-led UPA Government make me think otherwise. How can we say we are moving towards Surajya when the common man of India is more burdened than ever before, reeling under severe inflation? Is a policy paralysis of the severest form a movement towards Surajya? Apart from routinely making statements, has the Prime Minister taken any concrete step to tackle the challenge of malnutrition? The nation’s internal security is facing newer and tougher challenges by the day but we have yet to see any concrete effort on the part of the Centre to tackle them. Even the darkness that the people of India have been living in under the UPA transcended from the metaphorical to the literal when half of India was plunged into darkness for 2 days!

It is for the first time in the history of Independent India that we have a Government that is without a definitive Neta (leader), Niti (policy) or Niyat (Intention)! The ambitious promises the Congress promised during the 2004 and 2009 Elections now seems like a cruel joke played on the people of India.

Going a step ahead, the Congress is adding salt to the wounds by repeatedly insulting the people of India by appropriating accolades that have been achieved by tireless dedication and hard work of the people themselves! Take a look at the Congress Manifestos of 2004 and 2009 you would know how the Congress has bypassed all instances of people’s participation for petty self-gains. For instance, the manifestos state that it was the Congress that won the nation freedom, nurtured parliamentary democracy and made our Constitution possible! What can be a greater insult that the hard work of the entire nation is being snatched merely to glorify the Congress. How can the Congress in its manifestos claim that it was they who ushered in the IT Revolution and it was due to them that India went nuclear? The Congress proudly claims that the middle class is a ‘proud creation of the Congress’- if so why is it leaving no stone unturned in giving them enormous economic difficulties today?

The list of canards does not stop there! The Congress manifestos say it was they who brought in the Green and White Revolutions in India, giving prosperity to our farmers. Why is every instance of Jan Shakti being repackaged as the “creation” of the Congress?

Over and above this, the biggest casualty of the Congress misgovernance is the blatant attack on the federal structure of India. On many occasions, I have written to the Prime Minister on this extremely serious issue. This mistrust between the Centre and the States will be extremely detrimental to the progress of India.

Friends, our great forefathers gave up their lives for the cause of Swarajya. Our forefathers were blessed to have got an opportunity to die for the nation and today, the time has come when we require individuals who will live for the nation and realize the grand vision our founding fathers has for India.

One of the biggest strengths of our nation is our vibrant youth population. More than 65% of our population is under the age of 35 years. With such strengths, the sky is the limit! Stalwarts Shri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Dayananda Saraswati dreamt of a ‘Jagad Guru Bharat’, an India that is at the pedestal of the world leadership. Our youth can be the drivers of this change and turn the vision of these great men into reality. But, we need to strengthen them with the relevant skills.

On this day let us resolve to work towards realizing the dreams of Surajya that our forefathers envisioned for India! Let us affirm to be partners in the development of India. Our Mantra is- Gujarat’s development for the development of India. As proud sons of Bharat Mata, we remained determined to work towards an India that is not only a land of Swarajya but also the torchbearer of Surajya.

Once again, my salutations to my entire fellow Indians on Independence Day!

 

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!  Jai Hind!

 

Yours,

Narendra Modi

 

 

 

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Ekta Ka Mahakumbh – the Dawn of a New Era
February 27, 2025

The Mahakumbh has successfully concluded in the holy city of Prayagraj. A grand Mahayajna of Unity has been completed. When the consciousness of a nation awakens, when it breaks free from the shackles of a centuries-old mindset of subjugation, it breathes freely in the fresh air of renewed energy. The result of this was witnessed at the Ekta Ka Mahakumbh (Mahakumbh of Unity) in Prayagraj since January 13.

On January 22, 2024, during the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, I spoke about Devbhakti and Deshbhakti - devotion to the divine and to the nation. During the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, Gods and Goddesses, saints, women, children, youth, senior citizens and people from all walks of life came together. We witnessed the awakened consciousness of the nation. This was Ekta Ka Mahakumbh, where the sentiments of 140 crore Indians converged at the same place, at the same time, for this sacred occasion.

In this holy region of Prayagraj is Shringverpur, a sacred land of unity, harmony and love, where Prabhu Shri Ram and Nishadraj met. Their meeting symbolized the confluence of devotion and goodwill. Even today, Prayagraj inspires us with the same spirit.

For 45 days, I witnessed crores of people from every corner of the country making their way to the Sangam. The wave of emotions at the confluence kept rising. Every devotee came with one purpose – taking a dip in the Sangam. The holy confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati filled every pilgrim with enthusiasm, energy, and confidence.

This Mahakumbh in Prayagraj is a subject of study for modern management professionals, planning, and policy experts. Nowhere in the world is there any parallel or example of this scale.

The world watched in wonder how crores of people gathered at Prayagraj at the banks of the confluence of rivers. These people had no formal invitations, no prior communication on when to go. Yet crores of people left for the Mahakumbh of their own accord and felt the bliss of taking a dip in the sacred waters.

I cannot forget those faces radiating immense joy and satisfaction after the holy dip. Women, elders, our Divyang brothers and sisters – everyone found a way to reach the Sangam.

It was particularly heartening for me to see the overwhelming participation of India's youth. The presence of the younger generation at the Mahakumbh sends a profound message that the youth of India will be the torchbearers of our glorious culture and heritage. They understand their responsibility towards preserving it and are committed to carrying it forward.

The number of people who arrived in Prayagraj for this Mahakumbh has undoubtedly created new records. But beyond those physically present, crores of people who could not reach Prayagraj were also deeply connected emotionally to the occasion. The sacred water brought back by pilgrims became a source of spiritual bliss for millions. Many of those returning from the Mahakumbh were received with respect in their villages, honoured by society.

What has happened in the last few weeks is unprecedented and has laid a foundation for centuries to come.

More devotees arrived in Prayagraj than anyone had imagined. The administration had estimated attendance based on past experiences of the Kumbh. 

Nearly twice the population of the United States participated in this Ekta Ka Mahakumbh.

If scholars of spirituality analyse the enthusiastic participation of crores of Indians, they will find that India, proud of its heritage, is now surging ahead with a new-found energy. I believe this is the dawn of a new era, which will script the future of a new India.

For thousands of years, the Mahakumbh has strengthened India's national consciousness. Every Purnakumbh used to witness a gathering of saints, scholars and thinkers deliberating upon the state of society in their times. Their reflections used to provide a new direction to the nation and society. Every six years, during the Ardhkumbh, these ideas were reviewed. After 12 Purnakumbh occurrences spanning 144 years, obsolete traditions were given up, newer ideas were embraced, and new traditions were created to move ahead with times.

After 144 years, in this Mahakumbh, our saints have once again given us a new message for India's development journey. That message is Developed India – Viksit Bharat.

At this Ekta Ka Mahakumbh, every pilgrim, whether rich or poor, young or old, from villages or cities, from India or abroad, from the East or the West, from the North or the South, irrespective of caste, creed and ideology, came together. This was an embodiment of the vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat that filled confidence in crores of people. Now, we must come together in the same spirit for the mission of building a developed India.

I am reminded of the incident where, as a little boy, Shri Krishna revealed a snapshot of the whole universe within His mouth to His mother Yashoda. Similarly, in this Mahakumbh, the people of India and the world have witnessed the massive potential of India's collective strength. We must now move forward with this self-confidence and dedicate ourselves towards building a developed India.

Earlier, the saints of the Bhakti movement had identified and encouraged the strength of our collective resolve across India. From Swami Vivekananda to Sri Aurobindo, every great thinker reminded us of the power of our collective resolve. Even Mahatma Gandhi experienced it during the freedom movement. Post-independence, if this collective strength had been correctly recognised and harnessed towards boosting the welfare of all, it would have become a great force for a newly independent nation. Unfortunately, it was not done earlier. But now, I am gladdened to witness the way in which this collective strength of the people is coming together for a developed India.

From the Vedas to Vivekananda, from the ancient scriptures to modern satellites, India’s great traditions have shaped this nation. As a citizen, I pray that we draw new inspiration from the memories of our ancestors and saints. May this Ekta Ka Mahakumbh help us move ahead with new resolutions. Let us make unity our guiding principle. Let us work with the understanding that service to the nation is service to the divine.

During my election campaign in Kashi, I had said, "Maa Ganga has called me." This was not just an emotion but also a call of responsibility, towards the cleanliness of our sacred rivers. Standing at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati in Prayagraj, my resolve became even stronger. The cleanliness of our rivers is deeply linked to our own lives. It is our responsibility to celebrate our rivers, big or small, as life-giving mothers. This Mahakumbh has inspired us to keep working towards the cleanliness of our rivers.

I know that organizing such a massive event was no easy task. I pray to Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna, and Maa Saraswati to forgive us in case there were any shortcomings in our devotion. I see Janata Janardan, the people, as an embodiment of divinity. In case there has been any shortcoming in our efforts to serve them, I also seek the forgiveness of the people.

Crores of people came to the Mahakumbh with a feeling of devotion. Serving them was also a responsibility that was carried out with the same feeling of devotion. As a Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, I can proudly say that under the leadership of Yogi Ji, the administration and the people worked together to make this Ekta Ka Mahakumbh a success. Be it the state or Centre, there were no rulers or administrators and instead, everyone was a devoted sevak. Sanitation workers, police, boatmen, drivers, people serving food - everyone worked tirelessly. The way the people of Prayagraj welcomed the pilgrims with open hearts despite facing many inconveniences was particularly inspirational. I express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to them and the people of Uttar Pradesh.

I have always had unwavering confidence in the bright future of our nation. Witnessing this Mahakumbh has strengthened my conviction manifold. 

The way 140 crore Indians turned the Ekta Ka Mahakumbh into a global occasion is truly wonderful. Moved by the dedication, devotion and efforts of our people, I will soon visit Shri Somnath, the first among the 12 Jyotirlingas, to offer the fruits of these collective national efforts to Him and to pray for every Indian.

The physical form of the Mahakumbh may have culminated successfully on Mahashivratri, but just like the eternal flow of the Ganga, the spiritual strength, national consciousness and unity that Mahakumbh has awakened will continue to inspire us for generations to come.