New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled his thinking on boosting economy by saying India should become a manufacturing power with a huge resource of digitally-capable and skilled youth.
“Come — Make in India,” he said while inviting global companies to enter the manufacturing sector in this country. He said ‘Made in India’ brand products should flood the global markets.
Contending that times have changed, the Prime Minister announced that the Planning Commission, set up in 1950, will be scrapped and replaced with a new institution.
Less than three months after taking over as Prime Minister, Mr Modi unveiled a roadmap for his government and development of model villages by MPs and launching of a scheme for elimination of open defecation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major announcement came in the form of launching the "Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana" to help the poor open bank accounts, which will come with the facility of a debit card and an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.
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With an eye on rural India, the Prime Minister announced a scheme named after members of Parliament under which they will adopt and develop one village each in their respective constituencies.
After nearly a decade, the country saw a Prime Minister speaking extempore and not reading out from a written speech while addressing the nation on Independence Day. His speech ranged from technology to toilets, from digital India to atrocities against women.
A pleasant breeze swept over Delhi on Friday morning as Mr Modi reached Red Fort to unfurl the tricolour on the country’s 68th Independence Day.
Wearing a white kurta and saffron turban and speaking from the podium without the usual bullet-proof glass shield, the Prime Minister, who called himself a "pradhan sevak (prime servant)", unveiled his ideas for rapid progress of the country and to boost the economy by saying India should become a global manufacturing hub.
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He spoke of his vision "Come and Make in India", inviting global manufacturers to invest.
He exhorted Indian youth to unleash their entrepreneurial skill and let "Made in India" become a synonym for excellence.
Mr Modi said: "Manufactured goods should have zero defects as also zero effect on the environment." He observed: "Digital India is our dream for the nation. When I say digital India, it is not meant for the rich but for those who are poor."
At a time when some members of the Sangh Parivar and BJP MPs are indulging in aggressive Hindutva rhetoric, Mr Modi shunned communalism and casteism in his speech. "We see violence on the basis of religion and caste. Who is benefiting? We have fought enough, killed enough. If you look back, you will find that nobody has gained," the Prime Minister said, urging that "for the sake of the country’s progress, there should be a 10-year moratorium on violence at least once."
The Prime Minister, who had earlier said that "India needs toilets not temples", yet again stressed the need to end open defecation. "Can we not create proper toilet facilities? I don’t know whether people will appreciate my talking about dirt and toilets from the Red Fort but I come from a poor family. I have seen poverty," Mr Modi said, blending the issue with his humble origin.
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Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, who he said gave the greatest importance to cleanliness, Mr Modi said, "If 125 crore people resolve not to dirty our surroundings, no force on Earth can come and dirty our country." He sought the involvement of corporates to provide toilets in schools.
He denounced rapes, atrocities against women and condemned foeticide. "Our heads hang in shame when we hear news about rapes. When such incidents happen, parents question their daughters, but does anyone dare ask their sons?" the Prime Minister said, adding: "For every 1,000 men, there are 940 women. Who is creating this imbalance in society? God isn’t. I urge doctors not to kill daughters in the womb just to fill their pockets."
Striking a conciliatory note, the Prime Minister said he wanted to run the country on the basis of consensus and not on the basis of majority in Parliament.
As former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife looked on, Mr Modi made a special mention of the services rendered by his predecessors and former governments for the country’s
development. "We are not for moving forward on the basis of majority, we are not interested to move forward by virtue of majority. We want to move ahead on the basis of strong consensus," he said.
Referring to terrorism and Naxalism, Mr Modi wondered how long the violence would continue. "You will get nothing," he told the "misguided" youth of the country.
It was the quintessential Mr Modi when he referred to chaiwallas while talking about promoting tourism in the country. "Tourism helps bring money. An auto driver can earn, a chana seller, a pakodawalla, a snack seller and even a chaiwalla make money," he said, quickly adding: "When I refer to a chaiwalla, I can relate him to myself."
At this, the crowd responded with thunderous applause and the camera swiftly panned towards Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Remembering his icon, Mr Modi observed: "As Swami Vivekananda said that once again Mother India has awakened, my Mother India will take her place as teacher of the world and every Indian will be a tool of global welfare."
