Prime Minister's Office
azadi ka amrit mahotsav

English rendering of PM’s address during his interaction with beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra via video conferencing

Posted On: 09 DEC 2023 6:13PM by PIB Delhi

Namaskar!

The enthusiasm that is being seen in every small and big village regarding Modi's 'vehicle of guarantee' is visible in every corner of Bharat, be it North, South, East, West and so on. And I have learnt that, when this vehicle is not passing by their route, people come on their own, stand in the middle of the village road and stop the vehicle to take all the information. So, this is incredible in itself. And I have had an interaction with some of the beneficiaries now. I am told that during this visit, more than 1.5 lakh beneficiaries got the opportunity to narrate their experiences, and these experiences have also been recorded. And in the last 10-15 days, I have seen from time to time the feelings of the people of the village; whether the schemes have reached; whether they have been fully implemented or not. They know all the details. 

When I watch your videos, I feel very happy to see how the people of my village make good use of the government schemes available to them. Now, if someone gets a pucca house then it is a new beginning in his life. If someone gets tap water, he feels happy that water has finally reached his house because until now they were living in trouble due to lack of water facilities. If someone gets a toilet, he feels happy due to this 'Izzat Ghar' because in the olden times, toilets used to be present only in the houses of prominent people, but now he too has a toilet in his house. So, it has become a matter of social prestige for him. 

Some have got free treatment; some have got free ration; some have got a gas connection; some have got an electricity connection; some have opened a bank account; some are getting PM Kisan Samman Nidhi; some are getting PM Fasal Bima. Some have got the benefit of PM SVANidhi Yojana, some have got property cards under the PM Swamitva Yojana. That means, all these schemes have reached every corner of Bharat. Crores of families in villages across the country have definitely benefitted from some or the other government schemes. And when one gets these benefits, his confidence increases. And with every small benefit, a new strength emanates from him to live life. And for this they did not have to visit any government office again and again. There was no need to beg for availing the benefits. That mental state was gone. The government identified the beneficiaries and then took steps to extend the benefits to them. That is why today people say that Modi's guarantee means guarantee of fulfilment.

My family members,

Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has become a great medium to reach such people who till now have not been able to connect with the government schemes. Not even a month has passed since it started. It has only been two-three weeks but this yatra has reached more than 40 thousand village panchayats and many cities. It is a big deal because in such a short time, more than 1.25 crore people have reached out to Modi's vehicle of guarantee, have welcomed it, and tried to understand and connect with it, and have worked to make it successful. 

People are appreciating and welcoming this vehicle of guarantee. And I have been told that in many places various types of activities are being completed even before the programme starts. That is, I see that such a campaign which does not have any prominent leader is moving forward merely on the basis of the resolution to take India forward, to take the village forward, to take the family forward, and to avail the benefits of government schemes to move ahead. From the information that I have received, the villagers have worked on various things before this vehicle of guarantee arrived. For example, in some villages a massive cleanliness campaign was conducted for a week or so, because Modi's vehicle of guarantee was about to arrive. So, the entire village got involved in the cleanliness campaign.

In some villages, they were doing Prabhat Pheri for one hour in the morning, spreading awareness by going from one village to another. In some places, during the prayer meetings in schools, the aware teachers talk about what a developed Bharat looks like and how to move ahead till Bharat completes 100 years of independence. What will be their future when these children will be 25-30 years old? All these topics are being discussed in schools these days. That means the teachers who are aware are also educating people. And the school children have made beautiful rangolis in many villages to welcome the vehicle of guarantee. Some did not make rangolis with colours but used flowers, leaves, plants and dry leaves from the village to create the rangoli.  Rangolis have been made, people have written nice slogans, and slogan writing competitions have been held in some schools. I have been told that in some villages, people lit lamps outside the house in the evening a day before the vehicle of guarantee was to arrive at the doorstep of every house so that a perfect atmosphere was created in the entire village. So, this is the kind of enthusiasm in the people and I heard that some people go outside the village, when the vehicle is about to arrive. They bring puja material such as aarti plate, flowers and go to the entrance of the village, i.e. the tree outside the village called Naka. They go there, welcome the vehicle and escort it inside while shouting slogans. That means an atmosphere of celebration was created in the entire village.

I am also happy to learn that our Panchayats have formed nice welcome committees in every village to welcome the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra'. All the elders of the village, people from all sections of the society have been included in the welcome committees. And the people of the welcome committee are making arrangements to welcome it and are handling the responsibilities. Now I have tried to suggest that the villages should be told a day or two in advance about the arrival of this vehicle - the date and time.  If the villagers are so excited and they know about it in advance then they can do better preparations. You can also tell the nearby villages where this vehicle might not be going but there are small towns and villages within two to four five kilometers. They can come. And school children as well as the elderly are also being included in this scheme. And I noticed that selfie points are created there. People are taking many selfies and even the women of the villages are using mobile phones, taking selfies and uploading these selfies. I can see that people are so happy. And I am satisfied because as this Yatra is reaching every corner of the country, people's enthusiasm is also increasing further. 

At various places in Odisha, people perform traditional tribal dances. Such wonderful dances are being performed!  This is how they are welcomed. Some people from West Khasi Hill sent me photos and videos of it. During the programme in Rambrai of West Khasi Hill, local people performed beautiful dances and organized cultural programmes. Andaman and Lakshadweep are remotely located. No one talks about such places. But people there are organizing such grand programmes and they are being done with great beauty. Even in Kargil, which is covered with snow, there seems to be no shortfall in the welcome programme. I was told that in a recent programme, about 4000-4500 people had gathered in a very small village. Countless such examples are being seen every day. Several videos are being watched related to this and the entire social media is filled with it.

I would say that probably I may not even be fully aware of every work and every preparation that is going on. People have made different variations, added many new colours and new enthusiasm to it. I think that perhaps a list of these activities should be made so that this list will be useful for the people to prepare for the welcome of the vehicle whenever it reaches them. All these suggestions and experiences of the people should be useful to them. So, if a list of the same is made and sent to them, it will be useful in boosting enthusiasm in the villages. This will therefore help the people of those areas where this vehicle of guarantee is going to reach. They might want to do something but might not know what to do; so they too will get some ideas.

Friends,

The government is constantly trying to ensure that when the vehicle of guarantee by Modi arrives, every person in the village must reach that vehicle. One should leave field work for an hour. Everyone should be taken to it, including children, and the elderly because we have to take the country forward. Only when this happens will we be able to reach every beneficiary, only then the resolution of 100 percent saturation will be fulfilled. The effect of our efforts is also visible in every village. After getting on the Modi guarantee bandwagon, around 1 lakh new beneficiaries have availed and applied for free gas connections under the Ujjwala scheme. There are some villages like the one I was just talking about; Priyanka ji from Bihar was saying, I liked that it has reached everyone in my village, but there are some villages where only one or two people are left. So when this vehicle reaches, they also search for it and give it to them. During this visit, more than 35 lakh Ayushman cards have also been given on the spot. And Ayushman card means, in a way, it becomes a guarantee of a huge opportunity for any sick person to live a better life. Lakhs of people are getting their health checkup done after getting access to the vehicle of guarantee. I am extremely happy that health camps are being organized in all the states along with it. So, doctors are coming to the village, machines are taken there so that everyone gets a medical check-up done. When the body is examined, one gets to know about any ailment. I think this is also a great work of service; it gives satisfaction. A large number of people are now going to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which were earlier called Health and Wellness Centres. Now people are calling them Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and are getting various types of tests done there.

Friends,

There is a direct relationship, an emotional relationship between the Central Government and the people of the country and when I say, you are my family members, this is a humble effort of your servant to reach out to my family members. I am coming to your village by this vehicle. Why? So that I become your companion in your happiness and sorrow; to understand your hopes and aspirations, and to use the power of the entire government to fulfil those aspirations. Our government is not a 'mai-baap' (dictatorship) government, rather our government is a servant government of the Mothers-fathers. Just as a child serves his parents, this Modi serves you in the same way. And for me, the poor, the deprived, all those neglected people, for whom even the doors of government offices used to be closed before, are my priorities. Not only does Modi consider them first, Modi also worships them. For me, every poor person in the country is a VIP. Every mother, sister and daughter in the country is a VIP for me. Every farmer of the country is a VIP for me. Every youth of the country is a VIP for me.

My family members,

The results of the recent assembly elections in the country are still being discussed a lot. These election results have made it clear that Modi's guarantee is valid. I am grateful to all the voters who trusted Modi's guarantee so much.

But friends,

The question is also why the country does not trust those who are standing against us? In fact, some political parties are not able to understand the simple fact that they will not be able to achieve anything by making false announcements. Elections are won not on social media, but by going and being present amidst the people. Before winning elections, it is necessary to win the hearts of the people. It is not right to underestimate the public conscience. If some opposition parties had considered the spirit of service to be supreme instead of political selfishness and had considered the spirit of service as their job, then a large population of the country would not have lived in poverty, problems and sufferings. If those who ran the governments for decades had worked honestly, the guarantees that Modi is giving today would have been fulfilled 50 years ago.

My family members,

The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is going on. In this campaign too, our women are joining in large numbers; our mothers and sisters are participating. There is also a competition among them to get their photo clicked with Modi's vehicle of guarantee. You see, more than 4 crore houses have been built for the poor. Can anyone imagine that in our country 4 crore houses have been provided to the poor in such a short time and my greatest joy is for the fact that 70 percent of the beneficiaries of these houses are women. This means that if 10 houses are built in a village, then 7 of them are pucca houses registered in the name of mothers who earlier did not have any property in their names. Today, out of every 10 beneficiaries of Mudra loan, 7 are women. Some have opened their shops; some have started tailoring and embroidery work; some have started salons, parlours and many such businesses. Today, 10 crore sisters of the country are associated with Self-Help Groups in every village. These groups are providing the sisters with a means of additional earning, giving them a direct opportunity to participate in the development of the country. 

The government is paying attention to the skill development of women. And I have made a resolution and perhaps no brother can make such a resolution even by observing countless Rakshabandhans throughout his life. Modi has resolved-  I want to make two crore of my sisters 'Lakhpati Didi' from the Self-Help Groups being run in the villages so that she can stand proudly and say, ‘I am a Lakhpati Didi. My income is more than one lakh rupees’. Just a few days ago, the government has formulated a scheme - 'Namo Drone Didi' or 'Namo Didi' in short because I now down and salute these sisters. I respect their strength. 

Through this campaign, initially we will train women from 15 thousand Self-Help Groups, turn them into 'NaMo Drone Didi' and then they will be given drones. In villages, tasks like sprinkling pesticides, sprinkling fertilizers, or supervising crops or water supply, can be done with the help of drones. It is just like farming work done with the help of a tractor. And our sisters and daughters living in the villages will also be given training in flying drones. After this training, the sisters and daughters will get the identity of 'NaMo Drone Didi', also called  'NaMo Didi' in common language. 'Namo Didi' is a good thing because people will start saluting sisters in every village. This 'Namo Didi' will not only connect the agricultural system of the country with modern technology, but these women will also get additional means of earning. As a result, there will be a sweeping change in the farming sector. Our farming will be scientific, modern, technological and when mothers and sisters do it, then everyone accepts it.

My family members,

Be it women power, youth power, farmers or our poor brothers and sisters, their support towards Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is amazing. I felt delighted to know that during this journey, more than one lakh of our young players, who are working in every village to promote sports have been awarded and honoured. This is going to be a huge encouragement to young players to move forward in the world of sports. You must have seen that people download the Namo app. Similarly, youth are also becoming 'My Bharat ke Volunteers' in every village. The enthusiasm with which our sons and daughters are joining this campaign in the form of 'My Bharat Volunteer', and getting registered, their power will be very useful in the future for the transformation of the village and the country. It strengthens Bharat's resolve. I will give two tasks to all these volunteers. Those who are registered with 'My Bharat' should download the NaMo app on their mobile phones. One new thing has been added to it and that is an opportunity to become 'Viksit Bharat Ambassador'. Register yourself as 'Viksit Bharat Ambassador'. As the 'Viksit Bharat ambassador, take the responsibility and do whatever is mentioned in it. Add 10 new people every day to this task and develop it into a movement. We are like those people who used to join the Satyagraha in the era of Mahatma Gandhi. However, we have to create a team of volunteers who will be 'viksit Bharat ambassadors and will do everything necessary to build a developed Bharat.

Secondly, even though Bharat develops, my young generation still remains weak. They sit in front of the TV all day long and keep looking at their mobile phone the whole day and don't even move their hands and legs. So, when the country moves towards prosperity but my youth is not empowered, how will the country progress? How will it be useful? Hence, I have another request for you. Just like the work of 'Viksit Bharat ambassador' on Namo App, we should also create an environment of Fit India Movement in the villages. And I want to tell the youth of my country, both sons and daughters, that they should be physically strong and not weak. For example, they shouldn't be looking for a bus or a taxi to cover two or four kilometers. They should be able to walk. After all, we need those who are courageous! 

The volunteers of 'My Yuva Bharat' should take it forward and I want to tell you four things in terms of Fit India. Always give priority to these four things. Definitely follow these things. First, make sure that you drink as much water as possible. One should drink some water several times throughout the day. It is very important for the body. This is my appeal to my youth for Fit India. Second is nutrition; our Millets provide immense nutrition and strength. Let us make a habit of eating millet. First – water, second – nutrition, third – wrestling. By wrestling I mean do some exercise, work-out, running; play any sports, hang on a tree, and so on. And fourth- adequate sleep. Adequate sleep is very important for the body. These four things can be done in every village for Fit India. For this, no new arrangements are needed in the village. See, there is a lot around us for a healthy body. We have to take advantage of it. If we pay attention to these four things, our youth will be healthy and when our youth is healthy and Bharat becomes developed, these youngsters will get the opportunity to take maximum advantage of it. So this is also important in its preparation. 

Money is not the only thing for a developed Bharat. Various different types of work need to be done. Today I have mentioned one task and that is 'Fit India'. My youth, my sons and daughters should be healthy. We do not have to go and fight in any battle, but we should have full strength to fight any disease. You must have the complete strength to finish some good work, even if you need to work for two or four hours more.

My family members,

Whatever resolutions we are making during this 'Sankalp Yatra' are not just a few sentences. Rather, these should become our life mantras. Be it government employees, officers, public representatives, or common citizens, we all have to unite with full devotion. Everyone's efforts have to be made, only then Bharat is going to develop. We have to fulfil the dream of a developed Bharat; we have to do it together. I felt really happy because today I got the chance to talk directly to lakhs of my family members across the country. This programme is so wonderful, so amazing that I feel like joining you again after a few days if I get time during the yatra. And would love to talk to the people of the village where the yatra will take place next. I wish you all the very best. Thank you!

 

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DS/ VJ / IG / AK


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