Narendra Modi on Wednesday compared the situation of the country before he became the Prime Minister in 2014, which he described as "immersed in despair and disappointment", with the current situation of the country under the BJP-led NDA government
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday compared the situation of the country before he became the Prime Minister in 2014, which he described as "immersed in despair and disappointment", with the current situation of the country under the BJP-led NDA government.
Taking a stinging jibe at the previous governments, PM Modi said that "formidable challenges" stood before the nation; however, now, he said that the "picture has changed completely". He said the nation has witnessed a transformation from "policy paralysis" to "reform express".
Addressing the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha in New Delhi, PM Modi said, "In 2014, the country expanded my responsibilities and broadened the scope of my service as the Prime Servant. Even then, formidable challenges stood before the country. Problems seemed to be everywhere, and every citizen was looking for a new path. Regarding India's economy, the world had started saying, 'It's a gone case'. There was no growth to be seen anywhere, inflation was touching the sky, and a country immersed in despair and disappointment once again needed a new sense of confidence."
He said that when he came to power in 2014, he did what he knew best. "I called upon the collective strength of crores of Indians and once again told them, 'We will do it!'"
"And today, 12 years later, the picture has changed completely," he said.
The Prime Minister said that when a crisis situation occurred during the previous government's tenure, the Indian economy would be "shaken". "Today, when a crisis occurs, India's strength and resilience are discussed," he said.
"Back then, there was talk of policy paralysis, and today there is talk of the reforms express. Earlier, ways were being found to increase imports, and today new export records are being set. Earlier, we imported even the mobile phones we needed, and today Made-in-India mobile phones are making their mark. Earlier, blackouts across India would become global headlines, and today India's solar power capacity is being discussed," he said.
Another "excellent example" of this story of change is agriculture, according to PM Modi. Since Independence, he said, if there has been a decade in which agricultural growth has remained consistently the highest, it is the current decade.
"The decade from 2015 to 2025 has broken all records for agricultural growth."
The Prime Minister further asserted that even among the major countries known for agriculture, growth has not been this rapid. "This happens only when the intentions are clear, and the policies are clear."
PM Modi said that 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' has been the "foundation of good governance" for him.
"One of the major tragedies of our country has been that society was divided along voting lines for political purposes. Just think, if water does not reach the fields, who suffers? Are only farmers of one caste affected by it? If electricity is not available, does darkness prevail only in the homes of one community? The answer to all these questions is no. If the problem affects everyone, the solution should also be for everyone," he said.
He said that his government worked towards saturation -- meaning that every beneficiary is covered, no eligible person is left out, no rightful beneficiary is left behind, and no one can deprive another person of their rightful benefits.
"This is saturation, and this is the real story of change," he added.