- Calls for collective fight against corruption, nepotism
- Situation in Manipur improving
- Hoists Tricolour at Red Fort
New Delhi: 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, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday and assured the countrymen of a “New India” with a bright future in next five years.
The Prime Minister hoisted the national flag at the iconic Red Fort here on the occasion of 77th Independence Day. He inspected the Tri-Services guard of honour.
On his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister was welcomed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt.
Earlier, before heading towards the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
“Best wishes on Independence Day. We pay homage to our great freedom fighters and reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling their vision. Jai Hind!,” the Prime Minister wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Addressing the nation on the 77th Independence Day, 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 1000 years.
“Today we have demography, democracy, diversity, and this ‘Triveni’ (three factors) has the potential to make every dream of India come true,” he said.
The Prime Minister said experts the world over are saying that India was now unstoppable.
“As a new world order emerged after World War-2, I can clearly see a new world order, a new geopolitical equation is fast taking shape after Covid-19. I can see the strength of 140 crore Indians in shaping the changing world. You are at a decisive turning point,” he said.
During his nearly 90-minute-long address, the Prime Minister also outlined various initiatives taken by his government in the past 10 years, including in the field of the country’s security, women’s empowerment and the welfare of poor and marginalised sections of the society. He also mentioned various incidents in the country, including Manipur violence and said the situation in the northeastern state was improving.
In his 10th consecutive Independence Day speech, also his last before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister said in 2014, people decided to take the country forward.
“India was freed from the era of instability. In 2014, we were the 10th largest economy. Today with the efforts of 140 crore citizens we have become the 5th largest economy in the world…This did not happen just like that. The demon of corruption that had the country in its clutches – we stopped leakages and created a strong economy,” he said.
Noting that ‘Nation First’ was the bedrock of his government’s policies, Modi said people formed such a government in 2014 and 2019 gave him the strength to pull off reforms.
India is a part of the global supply chain, Modi said and asserted that he was confident that whatever the nation has achieved had brought a guarantee of stability to the world.
“Now, neither in our minds nor that of the world are any ifs and buts, a trust has been developed. Now, the ball is in our court. We should not let go of this opportunity,” the Prime Minister said.
Among others, the Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort was attended by over 2,000 guests comprising ministers, diplomats, members of the US Congressional delegation, 400 sarpanches of the vibrant villages programme, 50 nurses and their families from across India and 50 exceptional school teachers.
India’s progress is not only fuelled by Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai and the youth of our tier-2 cities are also creating an equal impact in our nation’s progress, he said, adding his policies of reform, perform and transform are changing the country.
“My message to the youth is—there is no dearth of opportunities, this country is ready to give you as many opportunities as you want,” he said.
Asserting that it was certain that India’s capability and possibilities are going to cross new heights of trust, he said these new heights of trust will go ahead with the new capabilities.
Today, India has received the opportunity to host G20 Summit and in the past year, the manner in which several events of the G20 were held in every corner of the country has made the world aware of the capability of India’s common man and India’s diversity, he said.
He also urged the nation to get rid of three evils of corruption, nepotism and appeasement to take the nation forward. “Corruption has badly affected India’s capability and it is the commitment of Modi’s life that I will keep fighting against corruption,” he said.
“It is Modi’s life-long commitment to keep fighting against corruption…My government weeded out 10 crore fake beneficiaries of welfare schemes, seizure of ill-gotten assets rose by 20 times,” he said.
He also said that the politics of appeasement has inflicted the most harm on social justice.
Modi, addressing his 10th Independence Day speech, said that democracy has been affected by the ills of nepotism and alleged that dynastic parties work with the mantra of “party of the family, by the family and for the family”.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said the situation in Manipur, which witnessed violence in the past few weeks, was improving and urged the people in the northeastern state to build on the peace restored there.
Modi said the entire nation is with Manipur, and the Centre and the state government were making every effort to find a solution and will continue to do so.
“In the past few weeks, during the period of violence in the North East, especially in Manipur, many people lost their lives, and the honor of mothers and daughters suffered a lot, but in the last few days, there are reports of peace. The nation is with Manipur,” the Prime Minister said at the outset of his 10th consecutive address from the Red Fort.
“The people of Manipur should build on the peace that has been restored over the past few days. The path for a solution will be found through peace in Manipur,” the Prime Minister said. (Agencies/IANS)
