Reforms are model for growth, says PM Modi in 11th I-Day speech | India News

In his 11th Independence Day speech, only Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi have addressed the nation from the Red Fort on more occasions. The Prime Minister addressed a range of issues, such as the concern of India's 1.4 billion people over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister deplored the rise in crimes against women, a remark that came in the backdrop of the rape and murder of a doctor at a government hospital in Kolkata, and asked state governments to act with utmost urgency to ensure speedy justice in such cases.

He stressed the need for a secular civil code instead of the current civil code, which he called communal and discriminatory, and underlined the need for one nation, one election, as frequent elections are an obstacle to the country's progress. In remarks interpreted as a reference to the opposition INDIA blocs' demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the latest Hindenburg Research report, Modi asked citizens to be wary of people with vikrit manasikta, or twisted minds, who cannot digest the country's rise. He said, without making any direct reference to anyone or any incident, that such people, immersed in their negativity, would lead the country on the path of anarchy and destruction.

However, the leitmotif of the Prime Minister's speech was the employment opportunities for youth created through the government's efforts to skill them, attract investments, the production-linked scheme boosting manufacturing and the internship programmes announced in the Union Budget FY25.

Dressed in a multi-coloured Rajasthani lahariya print turban and white kurta and churidar, Modi said today's youth do not believe in incremental progress but want a leap forward to achieve new milestones. “I would like to say that this is a golden era for India. Compared to global conditions also, this is indeed our golden period,” he said, adding that a Viksit Bharat by 2047 awaits the country. Noting that students are spending lakhs of rupees on medical education abroad, the prime minister said the government would create 75,000 new medical posts in the next five years. The prime minister underlined India's commitment to becoming a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and said the country would become an industrial hub in manufacturing by leveraging its vast skill strength and resources.

Modi said India also has the opportunity to use its rich heritage and ancient literature to create made-in-India gaming products and become a leader in the global gaming market. He said the country's focus is now on green growth and green jobs, which will create employment opportunities. He called on the industry to improve the quality of Indian products, asking them to design in India, design for the world and make the Indian standard a benchmark for the international quality standard.

The Prime Minister asked over 300,000 governance units spread across the country, from local bodies to districts and states, to carry out at least two reforms every year to make life easier for citizens. He advocated for reviving the spirit of Nalanda in education so that instead of Indians going abroad to study, foreign students come here. The Prime Minister said the budget allocated Rs 1,000 crore for research and innovation.

Among those present at the Red Fort were Union Cabinet ministers, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and people from across the country. Indian medallists at the Paris Olympics also attended the Prime Minister's address to the nation. Modi said that India's ambition was to host the 2036 Olympics. He congratulated Indian athletes for their performances at the Paris Olympics.

Addressing the nation with his customary 'mere parivarjan' (my family members), the Prime Minister highlighted the reforms undertaken by his government in the last decade to improve the living standards of the people. He said his government had worked to ensure saturation of services, such as electricity, water and gas supply, as well as welfare schemes, cutting across caste and religious lines. He said his government had ended the status quo that existed earlier.

The Prime Minister criticised the opposition and said that some people were glorifying corruption and he wanted to create an atmosphere of fear among the corrupt. Modi said his fight against corruption would continue. He said the country must fight against dynastic politics and the caste system. The Prime Minister said Indian politics must be freed from dynastic politics and praised the mission of the My Bharat organisation to bring 100,000 youth whose families have no political experience to join politics in panchayats, municipalities, district councils, state assemblies or the Lok Sabha.

First published: August 15, 2024 | 11:57 p.m. EAST