“It was heart warming to see the Prime Minister making his government's stand clear when he said “ Na Gaali Na Goli ” can resolve the complexities of Kashmir issue. On the contrary, it could only be resolved by embracing the common Kashmiri,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said late evening on Wednesday in a detailed article decoding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech.
The speech elaborated upon Modi’s vision of a New India – an India free of corruption, poverty, terrorism, casteism and communalism.
“The Centre has been consistent in its belief that the common Kashmiri wants to be an active stakeholder in the peace process. They have been made victim by certain vested interests who do not want peace in the Kashmir valley. The Prime Minister in his speech appealed to those who take recourse to violence and exhorted them to abjure violence and adopt democratic means to voice their concerns and grievances,” the Home Minister said.
Writing how this speech of the Prime Minister was different from the usual Independence Day speeches, Singh said, “It has given a holistic view to the entire freedom struggle in the present day context…As a colleague I feel the need to appreciate certain remarkable and distinct patterns emerging from his address, which reflect in his entire concept of governance, almost like mantras.”
Sensitivity: He empathised with those affected by the Gorakhpur tragedy and the recent natural calamities like floods and landslides, which have affected many parts of the country, Singh said adding that “This was a reassuring statement to the victims to make from the ramparts of the Red Fort, that even in its celebratory moments, the nation is sensitive enough to not forget those suffering and unable to celebrate.”
Youth of India: Besides, outlining the social aspects raised by the Prime Minister in his speech include how important the youth are for the growth of the country, Singh also highlighted the economic issue touched by Modi.
Jan Bhagidari spirit : Popular support for demonetisation, a smooth GST rollout, the citizen ownership of Swachh Bharat and people voluntarily giving up LPG subsidy to help the poor get gas connections were all examples of Team India’s Jan Bhagidari spirit, the Prime Minister had said, pointed out Singh.
“Every rupee saved is a rupee earned for the benefit of the under privileged. The push for distributing LED lights is one such example,’ Singh said.
Corruption : The Prime Minister mentioned how the bar was set higher for his government right at the beginning when an SIT on black money was constituted through the very first Cabinet decision, Singh pointed out adding that “since then, many effective steps have been taken to strengthen India's fight against corruption. Steps like demonetisation, notification of the Benami Law and its enforcement to seize Rs 800 crore worth properties, crackdown on shell companies and post-demonetisation data mining to detect suspicious accounts have clearly underlined our Prime Minister's integrity, the government's intent and his decisive decision making ability,” he added.
Outlining the results of his government’s decisive actions, PM Modi said that Rs 1.25 lakh crore of black money has been detected, over Rs 1.75 lakh crore is under scrutiny, and over Rs 3 lakh crore of black money that would have never come into the formal system if not for demonetisation. Nearly 3,00,000 shell companies were identified, detected and 1,75,000 of them have been permanently closed.
Security : On the security front Modi highlighted decisive actions taken both by the government and by the armed forces. In his I-Day speech he also mentioned the One Rank One Pension scheme which was kept in a cold storage for decades.
“Our armed forces have made innumerable sacrifices and gone the extra mile to protect our nation from its enemies. The best example of our forces taking extraordinary measures to protect the country was when the Indian Army crossed the LoC conducting surgical strikes and successfully destroying terrorist launch pads close to border…”
“Realising the need to showcase the valiant acts of our armed forces, I am happy that the PM announced the launch of a unique website to document and preserve the heroic acts of men and women in Indian armed forces who have been awarded gallantry awards.”
N-E region : The speech also was about empowering the farmers. Another notable focus in this theme was the focus on the under-developed eastern part of the nation that despite its richness and industrious people has been kept backward. The Prime Minister mentioned empowering this region to perform to its full potential as a priority.