Highlights from PM Modi's address to the nation on 74th Independence Day

Published By : Admin | August 15, 2020 | 14:38 IST

Following are the highlights from his Speech

1. My dear countrymen, on this auspicious occasion, congratulations and best wishes to all of you.

2. In this extraordinary time of Corona, Corona warriors have lived the mantra of 'Seva Parmo Dharma.' Our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, ambulance personnel, safai karmacharis, policemen, service personnel and many people are working round the clock continuously.

3. Expressing grief over loss of lives in various parts of the country due to natural calamities, he reassured fellow citizens of full support in this hour of need.

4. India's freedom struggle inspired the entire world. The idea of expansionism left some countries enslaved. Even in the midst of fierce wars, India did not allow its freedom movement to suffer.

5. Amid Covid pandemic, 130 crore Indians took the resolve to be self-reliant, and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' is on the mind of India. This dream is turning into a pledge. Aatmanirbhar Bharat has become a 'mantra' for the 130 crore Indians today. I am confident of the abilities, confidence and potential of my fellow Indians. Once we decide to do something, we do not rest till we achieve that goal.

6. Today, the whole world is inter-connected and inter-dependent. It's time for India to play an important role in the global economy. For this, India has to become self-reliant. From agriculture, space to healthcare, India is taking several steps to build Atmanirbhar Bharat. I am confident that measures, like, opening up the space sector will generate many new employment opportunities for our youth and provide further avenues to enhance their skills and potential.

7. Only a few months ago, we used to import N-95 masks, PPE kits, and ventilators from abroad. We not only made N-95 masks, PPE kits and ventilators during the pandemic, but were able to export these to all over the world.

8. Apart from ‘Make in India’, we must also embrace the mantra of ‘Make for World’.

9. National Infrastructure pipeline project worth Rs 110 lakh crore will boost our overall infrastructure projects. We will now focus on multi-model connectivity infrastructure. We can't work in silos anymore; we need to focus on comprehensive and integrated infrastructure. About 7,000 projects of different sectors have also been identified. It will bring a new revolution in the infrastructure sector.

10. How long will the raw material from our country become a finished product and return to India. There was a time when our agricultural system was very backward. The biggest concern then was how to feed the countrymen. Today, we can feed not only India but many countries of the world. Self-reliant India not only means reduction of imports, but also to increase our skills and our creativity.

11. The whole world has been noticing the reforms being pursued in India. As a result, the FDI inflow has broken all records. India witnessed 18% jump in FDI even during the Covid pandemic.

12. Who could have imagined that lakhs of crores of rupees would be directly transferred in the Jan Dhan accounts of the poor in the country? Who could have thought that such a big change would happen in the APMC Act for the benefit of farmers? One Nation-One Ration Card, One Nation - One Tax, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and Merger of Banks is the reality of the country today.

13. We have worked for women empowerment- Navy and Air Force are taking women in combat, women are now leaders, and we abolished triple talaq, got sanitary pads to women for just 1 rupee.

14. My dear countrymen, we have been told here - Samarthyamool Swatantryam, Shrammulam Vaibhavam. The strength of a society, the freedom of any nation is its power, and the source of its prosperity and progress is its labor force.

15. 7 crore poor families were given free gas cylinders, more than 80 crore people were provided free food with or without ration cards, about 90 thousand crores were directly transferred to bank accounts. Gharib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan has also been started to provide employment to poor in their villages.

16. The campaign for Vocal for Local, Re-Skill and Up-Skill will bring about a self-reliant economy in the lives of people living below the poverty line.

17. Many regions of the country have also lagged behind in terms of development. By choosing more than 110 such aspirational districts, special efforts are being made there so that the people get better education, better health facilities, and better employment opportunities.

18. Self-reliant India has an important priority - self-sufficient agriculture and self-reliant farmers. To provide modern infrastructure to the farmers of the country, a few days ago 'Agriculture Infrastructure Fund' of Rs 1 lakh crore has been created.

19. From this same Red Fort, last year, I announced the mission of Jal Jeevan. Today, under this mission, every day more than one lakh houses are getting water connection.

20. Professionals emanating from the middle class make their mark not only in India but in the whole world. The middle class needs opportunity, the middle class needs freedom from government interference.

21. This is also the first time when the EMI of a home loan for your home is getting a rebate of up to 6 lakh rupees during the payment period. Just last year, a fund of 25 thousand crore rupees has been established to complete thousands of incomplete houses

22. Education of the country has great importance in building self-reliant India, in building modern India, in building new India, in building prosperous India. With this thinking, the country has got a new National Education Policy.

23. In Corona's time, we have seen what the role of Digital India campaign has been. Just last month, almost 3 lakh crore rupees have been transacted from BHIM UPI alone.

24. Before 2014, only 5 dozen panchayats in the country were connected with optical fiber. In the last five years, 1.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country have been connected with optical fiber. All 6 lakh villages in the country will be connected with optical fiber within coming 1000 days.

25. My dear countrymen, our experience says that whenever there is an opportunity for women power in India, they have brought laurels to the country, strengthened the country. Today, women are not only working in underground coal mines, but also flying fighter planes, touching new heights in sky.

26. Of the 40 crore Jan Dhan accounts opened in the country, about 22 crore accounts are of women only. At the time of Corona, in April-May-June, about three thousand crores of rupees have been directly transferred to the accounts of women in these three months.

27. When Corona was started, there was only one Lab for Corona Testing in our country. Today there are more than 1,400 Labs in the country.

28. Another very big campaign is going to start in the country from today. This is the National Digital Health Mission. Every Indian will be given a health ID. National Digital Health Mission will bring a new revolution in India's health sector. All your tests, every disease, which doctor gave you which medicine, when, what were your reports, all these information will be contained in this one health ID.

29. Today, not one, not two, three vaccines of Corana are currently under testing phase in India. As soon as the green signal is received from the scientists, the country's preparation is also ready for mass production of those vaccines.

30. This year is the year of a new development journey of Jammu and Kashmir. This year is the year of rights for women and Dalits in Jammu and Kashmir! It is also a year of the dignified life of refugees in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a matter of pride for all of us that the representatives of the local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir are pushing forward a new era of development with activism and sensitivity.

31. By making Ladakh a Union Territory last year, the old demand of its people has been met. Ladakh, situated in the heights of the Himalayas, is moving forward today to touch new heights of development. Just as Sikkim has made its mark as an Organic State, in the coming days, Ladakh, will make its identity as a carbon neutral region, work is also being done in this direction.

32. A special campaign with a holistic approach to reduce pollution in 100 selected cities of the country is also being worked on.

33. India is fully sensitive to the preservation and promotion of its biodiversity. In the recent past, the tiger population has increased at a rapid pace in the country! Now a project lion for our Asiatic lions is also going to be started in the country. Similarly, Project Dolphin will also be launched.

34. From the LOC to the LAC, whoever has raised eyes on the sovereignty of the country, the country, the army of the country has responded in the same language. Respect for India's sovereignty is supreme for us. What our brave soldiers can do for this resolution, what the country can do, the world has seen this in Ladakh.

35. A quarter of the world's population lives in South Asia. We can create untold possibilities of development and prosperity of such a large population with cooperation and participation.

36. Our border and coastal infrastructure also have a huge role in the security of the country. Be it the Himalayan peaks or the islands of the Indian Ocean, today there is an unprecedented expansion of road and internet connectivity in the country.

37. There are more than 1300 islands in our country. In view of their geographical location, considering their importance in the development of the country, work is underway to start new development schemes in some of these selected islands. After Andaman and Nicobar islands, in the next 1000 days, Lakshadweep will also be connected to submarine optical fiber cable.

38. The expansion of NCC will be ensured to 173 border and coastal districts of the country. Under this campaign, special training will be given to about 1 lakh new NCC Cadets. In this also, about one-third of the daughters will be given this special training

39. Our Policies, Our Process, Our Products, Everything should be Best, Must be best. Only then will we be able to realize the vision of Ek Bharat-Shresth Bharat.

40. The middle class will be the biggest beneficiaries of 'Ease of Living'; from cheap internet to economical air tickets, highways to i-ways, and from affordable housing to tax reduction - all these measures will empower the middle-class people of the country.

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Narendra Modi: The Go-To Man in Times of Crises
November 29, 2023

“I salute the determination of all those involved in this rescue campaign. Their courage and resolve have given a new life to our fellow workers. Everyone involved in this mission has set a remarkable example of humanity and teamwork,” PM Modi said in a telephonic conversation with the rescued workers who were successfully pulled out of a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand.

41 workers had been trapped in the Silkyara tunnel for the past 17 days. The rescue operation, involving both advanced machinery and ingenious manual skill, lasted over 400 hours. The remarkable resilience displayed by the trapped workers, the dedicated rescue team, and the overarching administrative efforts collectively exemplify an impressive showcase of grit and perseverance.

This massive operation led by the central and state rescue teams is another example of Modi government’s deep commitment to the principles of federalism. It is also a masterclass in effective and timely mobilisation of resources to address the needs of citizens facing distressing situations.

Operation Ganga: Safely Evacuating Over 20,000 Indian Students from Ukraine
However, this is not something that we are seeing for the first time. Operation Ganga, a monumental effort to evacuate over 22,000 Indian students from Ukraine amidst a war, stands as a remarkable achievement. The mission entailed pooling of substantial resources, the provision of humanitarian assistance and the creation of a safe passage for students to return home. Prime Minister Modi was involved in every intricate detail of the operation—right from logistics to the diplomatic reach-out. In addition, to personally coordinate the entire rescue mission, four Union Ministers were dispatched to four neighbouring countries to Ukraine. On the home front, efforts were made to assuage the concerns of every parent, ensuring they were reassured about the swift and secure return of their children.

This is the Modi government’s ‘whole-of-government’ approach, where swift coordination between diverse ministries, government departments and public agencies leads to coherent action giving exceptional results.

The Machchhu Dam Disaster of 1979
However, the groundwork for Prime Minister Modi's mass mobilization approach was established during the early years of his public service. A striking and pioneering instance of this approach emerged during the Machchhu dam failure, commonly known as the Morbi disaster. It came to known as history’s biggest dam-related disaster unleashing a flood of water through the city of Morbi in 1979, leading to over 25,000 casualties and earning the unfortunate distinction of being the worst dam burst according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

At that time, Narendra Modi, an RSS Karyakarta in Gujarat, undertook extraordinary efforts to assist those affected on the ground. He leveraged the organisational strength of the RSS by mobilising the karyakartas in the time of crisis. He did not stop there. In the demoralizing aftermath, Narendra Modi, in his inimitable style, penned an inspirational letter to motivate the youth in Morbi to rebuild their lives.

The monumental relief efforts in Morbi spanned over a span of over two months, during which Narendra Modi who was an RSS Sangathak in Gujarat, demonstrated exemplary leadership, by personally taking charge and remaining at the forefront until the last bus taking volunteers home departed. Along with RSS volunteers, he assessed the situation and created a detailed plan through which teams were assigned specific tasks to address the different problems arising from the tragedy. Governments can take time before they can choose a course of action. But the 29-year-old worker Narendra Modi, pursued a singular course of action - reaching the people and find ways to alleviate their suffering.

2001 Gujarat Earthquake

Another compelling instance of Narendra Modi's commitment to mobilizing every available resource for swift and effective resolution, is the handling of the devastating 2001 earthquake that shook the state of Gujarat. Even before assuming role as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, then a BJP karyakarta, immediately rushed to ground zero to aid the affected.

During the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Bhuj, where Narendra Modi had no official role in the Gujarat government or the party hierarchy, he leveraged his personal network in the Sangh and mobilised the BJP's cadre to provide assistance to the earthquake victims. Witnessed by all, he rode pillion on a motorcycle to assess the damage and come up with potential remediation measures. Collaborating with non-profit organizations, organizing relief camps, distributing food, and coordinating support collection nationwide and internationally, Narendra Modi displayed how far he can go to assist those in need, irrespective of any formal power or position.

Upon assuming the role of Chief Minister shortly after, Modi chose to spend Diwali in 2001 in Bhuj, in solidarity with the earthquake victims. Shortly afterward, CM Modi displayed sensitive leadership when he organized a mass worship offering to Mother Earth, alleviating fears caused by the earthquake.

When faced with the monumental task of rehabilitation, Chief Minister Narendra Modi left no stone unturned in mobilizing the state’s government machinery. In the face of officials estimating a rehabilitation period of at least three years, Narendra Modi, not aloof of ground realities in Gujarat and conscious of the urgency for those who had become homeless and destitute, issued a straightforward directive: Kutch should stand on its feet again in three months. As the first anniversary of the earthquake of 26 January 2002 approached, Kutch not only stood on its feet but also started regaining momentum.

The Uttarakashi Tunnel Rescue materialized into reality only through decisive leadership at the helm which demonstrated a profound concern for those at the grassroots level. India stood to benefit from the hands-on experiences of the Prime Minister, who has witnessed and managed several many disasters and crisis as a RSS swayamsevak, a BJP karyakarta, and later as the head of the state in Gujarat and India.

Today, we see that this personal abilitiy of PM Modi has transformed into institutional power. This ‘whole-of-government’ approach has transformed the governance paradigm in India, and today one can proudly say that it was an all of government, all of India operation.