Observing that the world is watching how India makes the 21st century its own, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday cautioned the people to stay vigilant against those who seek to weaken the country and disrupt its unity.
He was delivering his address via video message on the occasion of ‘jayanti’ of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, commemorated as ”Parakram Diwas”.
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“Today when we are engaged in achieving the resolution of Developed India (Viksit Bharat), the legacy of life of Netaji Subhas will constantly inspire us,” the PM remarked.
He said the foremost and important goal of Netaji Subhas Bose was Azad Hind. To achieve this goal, Netaji stood steadfast with his decision on one single criterion – Azad Hind. He added that Netaji was born in a prosperous family and having cleared the Civil Services Examination, he could have been a senior officer in the British Government and led a comfortable life.
However, the PM said Netaji chose the path of difficulties and challenges in the quest for Independence along with wandering in India and other countries.
“Netaji Subhas was not bound by the confines of a comfort zone. Today, we all need to step out of our comfort zones to build a Viksit Bharat,” he said, emphasising the importance of becoming globally the best, choosing excellence, and focusing on efficiency.
Remarking that Netaji formed the ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ for the country’s independence by including brave men and women from every region and class, Mr Modi highlighted that despite having different languages, their common sentiment was the country’s freedom.
He emphasised that this unity is a significant lesson for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ today. Just as unity was essential for ‘Swaraj’ then, it is now crucial for a ‘Viksit Bharat’, remarked the PM as he highlighted the favourable environment for India’s progress globally. He stressed the importance of drawing inspiration from Netaji and focusing on India’s unity.
The PM noted that in the last ten years, the country has demonstrated that rapid development makes the life of the common man easier and also increases military strength. He highlighted that in the last decade, 25 crore Indians were lifted out of poverty, which is a huge success.
He said modern infrastructure is being built everywhere, be it village or city and spoke about the ”unprecedented” increase in the strength of the Indian Army and the country’s growing role on the world stage.
The PM expressed confidence that the day is not far when India will become the third largest economic power in the world. He urged everyone to keep working continuously for ‘Viksit Bharat’ with one goal, one objective, inspired by Netaji.
Mr Modi remarked that Netaji Subhas was very proud of India’s heritage and often spoke about the country’s rich democratic history, encouraging people to draw inspiration from it. He highlighted that today, India is emerging from a colonial mindset and developing with pride in its heritage.
