True empowerment comes from hand-holding, not freebies: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar
May 13, 2025
NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said true empowerment comes from hand-holding and not freebies and doles.
He also said that balanced economic development and societal growth take place when women come forward. Interacting with self-help group members from Meghalaya here, he said, "To empower the pocket of a person by freebies, by doles, is not true empowerment. True empowerment is when you hand-hold the person so that the person gets himself or herself empowered.
That brings joy, that brings satisfaction, that gives you inner strength, and also makes you pride of your family." Dhankhar said India's northeast is our jewel. In 1990s, the central government had a policy of 'Look East'.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an additional dimension to this policy 'Look East' to 'Act East'. And that action has taken place very effectively," he was quoted as saying in an official statement.
Highlighting the progress made under the 'Look East, Act East' policy, the vice president emphasised that Meghalaya holds immense potential in tourism, mining, IT, and services.
He lauded the state's achievements in economic growth and women's empowerment, crediting visionary leadership at both the Centre and the state level.
He praised the decade-long governance reforms and development achieved under Modi's leadership, stating that the visionary leadership catalyzed the officials to act in the right direction. Commending the state's economic progress, Dhankhar noted that the economy of a state is determined by gross state domestic product. He said Meghalaya has seen a rise of 13 per cent.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma was present during the interaction.
