Modi re-emphasises focus on national security, self-reliance on 75th birthday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his call for buying and selling Indian goods and putting up posters on shops, reflecting pride in trading indigenous goods
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday re-emphasised the focus on national security and self-reliance, as he launched welfare and development schemes in Madhya Pradesh on his 75th birthday. He reiterated his call for buying and selling Indian goods and putting up posters on shops, reflecting pride in trading indigenous goods.
He referred to the cross-border ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack (April) and said Indian soldiers brought Pakistan to its knees. “A new India is not afraid of nuclear threats,” he said at a rally in Madhya Pradesh.
He cited Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Masood Ilyas Kashmiri’s statement about the killing of the family members of the terror group’s leader, Masood Azhar, in an Indian strike on Bahawalpur during ‘Operation Sindoor’. He added that the Indian Army responded to the Pahalgam attack by destroying terrorist bases.
He emphasised India’s fearless approach in the face of nuclear threats. “This is the new India that does not fear nuclear threats. It is not afraid of nuclear threats.”
Modi spoke about the 77th anniversary of Operation Polo, which brought the erstwhile princely Hyderabad state into the Indian Union in 1948. “Today, September 17th, is another historic day. On this day, the country witnessed the iron will of [India’s first home minister] Sardar [Vallabhbhai] Patel. The Indian Army liberated Hyderabad and protected its rights.”
He said decades passed, but this achievement was not celebrated. “But our government immortalised this event. We started celebrating this day as Hyderabad Liberation Day…”
Modi called on taking advantage of the reduction in Goods and Services Tax rates from September 22 by purchasing indigenous products. “I will ask the state governments to take initiative in this regard.”
He asked people that whatever they buy should be made in India. “Please help me with this for the country. I want to build a developed India by 2047. The path to that lies through a self-reliant India,” he said. “Whatever you sell should be made in India. Mahatma Gandhi made Swadeshi [self-reliance] the foundation of the freedom movement. We must make it essential for a developed India.”
He said that when buying Diwali idols, decorative items, TVs, and refrigerators, check whether they are made in India or not. Modi said the government is focused on farms, fibre, factories, fashion, and foreign markets. “Necessary infrastructure has been completed at the PM Mitra Park in Dhar [Madhya Pradesh]. This will create new employment opportunities and reduce manufacturing costs. We are going to build six more such PM Mitra Parks.”
He referred to the government’s focus on empowering women. “Millions of women are setting up new industries by taking Mudra loans. The government is engaged in a campaign to transform 30 million rural women into Lakhpati Didis [millionaires]. In such a short time, nearly 20 million women have become Lakhpati Didis.”
Modi called the welfare of the poor and improvement of their lives his top priority. “Serving the poor never goes in vain. A little support from the poor can help them cross the ocean. The suffering of the poor is my own suffering.”
Modi asked the people to focus on the health of women. “When the mother is well, everything is fine. If the mother is ill, all systems collapse. Not a single woman should fall victim to a serious illness due to a lack of information or resources. Many diseases come silently and gradually become serious. It is important to detect these diseases in the early stages. Therefore, all these diseases will be screened as part of the campaign.”
Modi earlier marked a nationwide push to strengthen health care and nutrition services for women, adolescent girls, and children, as he launched the ‘Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar’ and the eighth National Nutrition Month (Poshan Maah). Over 100,000 health camps will be organised, making this the largest ever for women and children.
Modi also launched ‘Adi Seva Parv’, a series of service-oriented activities in tribal regions, and PM Mitra Park, a textile manufacturing hub spanning over 2,150 acres.
