NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that those spreading terrorism are on the back foot and warned that if Pakistan indulges in any misadventure, India’s armed forces will enter its territory and strike.
Addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi, PM Modi highlighted India’s security achievements, saying that peace has increased from Jammu and Kashmir to the Northeast and that the back of Maoist terrorism and Naxalism has been broken.
“Today, those spreading terrorism are on the back foot. If Pakistan indulges in any misadventure, India’s armed forces enter their territory and strike. Peace has increased from Jammu and Kashmir to the Northeast. The back of Maoist terrorism and Naxalism has been broken. The world that was once concerned about India’s policy paralysis is today talking about India’s policy dynamism,” PM Modi said.
Speaking about India’s economic progress, the Prime Minister said the country’s 7.8 per cent quarterly GDP growth has boosted confidence and shown India’s strength amid global challenges.
“The 7.8 per cent quarterly growth has boosted the country’s confidence. Those who became infamous for pushing India into the ‘Fragile Five’ are finding these figures difficult to digest,” he said.
PM Modi added, “The world was calling India one of the ‘Fragile Five.’ Today, the world is watching India become the fastest-growing major economy. In just the past week, there have been several positive developments regarding India’s economy. The 7.8 per cent growth has come at a time when the war in West Asia is ongoing and there have been several trade-related challenges. Achieving such growth under these circumstances shows India’s strength and potential.”
He further said, “India is not only growing but also creating new employment opportunities. Despite this, those for whom the glass was half empty in 2013 continue to think the same way even today. For them, the glass will always be half empty. I talk about the glass; I am not talking about anything remaining empty.”
Recalling the situation in 2013, when he had earlier visited SRCC, PM Modi said, “Your seniors were sitting here in 2013, and at that time I was the Chief Minister, but I was also a member of the country’s main opposition party. Perhaps people were expecting me to launch a long, strong attack on the then Central Government and level a barrage of allegations. But, even though I was in the Opposition and a critic of the government of the time, I did not use this platform for that purpose. I presented a vision. I spoke positively. Whatever I said then was my conviction. I have always lived those thoughts and dreams. I continued to follow that path, to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the country and to have the passion to live for the nation…At that time, all of you may have been in school. But today, if you go on the internet and read the news from 2013 and around that period, you will get an idea of what the situation was like then.”
He said, “There is a gang that will take what I am saying, break it into small pieces and put it in my account. So, let me warn you in advance about this. In 2013, Indian soldiers were being killed along the LoC, the World Bank had lowered its GDP growth forecast, the current account deficit was at an all-time high, inflation was around 10 per cent, the industrial sector was facing a slowdown, and corruption in the helicopter deal had been exposed.”
Listing other challenges of that period, PM Modi said, “There were bomb blasts in Hyderabad. These were all headlines at that time. Growth was at the bottom, while inflation was at the peak. Scams were at their height, and the corrupt were moving around fearlessly. The economy was in distress. There was discussion everywhere about policy paralysis. The world was counting India among the ‘Fragile Five.’ Terrorists were operating unchecked, and Pakistan was out of control.”
Talking about governance reforms, PM Modi said, “In 2013, while speaking here at SRCC, I also discussed P2G2, which stands for Pro-People Good Governance. Those who governed the country for a long time had a particular style: wake up only when there is a fire, and dig a well only when there is a drought. I had spoken about changing this approach. And after our government was formed in 2014, we demonstrated that change in practice.”
He added, “Think about those who were also opposing efforts to connect crores of people to the banking system. Such people enjoy seeing the glass half full so that ordinary, poor citizens of the country continue to depend on them. This is the ‘mai-baap’ culture they have been running for decades.”
Highlighting India’s infrastructure growth and policy reforms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Today, India is moving forward with a different mindset. Work that used to take decades is now being completed in just a few years. Let me give you another example with the facts. India’s first electric train ran in 1925. Your college was established in 1926. After that, until 2014, that is, over 90 years, less than 30 per cent of India’s railway lines had been electrified. In just 12 years, we have brought railway line electrification to nearly 100 per cent.”
“The speed that has come into India’s policy-making and decision-making is being seen and understood by countries around the world. That is why they are expanding their partnerships with India…You understand better what it means when new markets open up and tariffs on Indian goods and services are reduced.
This is creating a new sky of opportunities for India’s youth. Compared to 2013, the country is economically and socially much more secure today. But seeing this, the restlessness of some people is increasing,” PM added.
