Bharat Mata ki—Jai!

Bharat Mata ki—Jai!

Greetings to all the citizens of Maharashtra, including Amravati and Wardha!

Just two days ago, we celebrated the festival of Vishwakarma Puja. And today, we are celebrating the success of the PM Vishwakarma Yojana on the sacred land of Wardha. Today is also special because on this very day in 1932, Mahatma Gandhi started his campaign against untouchability. In this context, the celebration of one year of the Vishwakarma Yojana on Vinoba Bhave’s sacred land, Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘karmabhoomi’, and the land of Wardha is a confluence of achievement and inspiration which will provide new energy to our resolve for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). Through the Vishwakarma Yojana, we have committed ourselves to prosperity through labour and a better future through skill, and the inspirations of Bapu in Wardha will help us fulfill these commitments. I extend my congratulations to everyone associated with this initiative and to all the beneficiaries across the country.

Friends,

Today, the foundation stone of the PM MITRA Park has also been laid in Amravati. Today’s Bharat is working to take its textile industry to the top of the global market. The country’s goal is to restore the thousands of years of pride in Bharat’s textile sector. The PM MITRA Park in Amravati is another significant step in this direction. I extend my best wishes to all of you for this achievement as well.

Friends,

We chose Maharashtra for the first anniversary of the Vishwakarma Yojana, and we chose the sacred land of Wardha because the Vishwakarma Yojana is not just a government program. This initiative is a roadmap for utilizing Bharat’s age-old skills for a ‘Viksit Bharat’. Remember, there are many glorious chapters in history that highlight Bharat’s prosperity. What was the foundation of this prosperity? It was our traditional skills! Our craftsmanship, engineering, and science of that time! We were the largest textile producers in the world. Our metallurgy was unparalleled globally. From pottery to building designs, there was no comparison. Who delivered this knowledge and science to every household? The carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, potters, sculptors, cobblers, masons, and other such professions formed the foundation of Bharat’s prosperity. This is why the British conspired to eliminate this indigenous skill during colonial times. It is for this reason that Gandhi ji promoted rural industries from this very land of Wardha.

But friends,

It is unfortunate that the successive governments did not give the respect to this skill that it deserved after independence. These governments continuously neglected the Vishwakarma community. As we forgot to honour our craftsmanship and skills, Bharat also lagged in the race for progress and modernity.

Friends,

Now, 70 years after independence, our government has resolved to infuse new energy into these traditional skills. We started the ‘PM Vishwakarma’ initiative to fulfill this resolution. The core philosophy of this scheme is 'Samman’(respect) ‘Samarthya’ (capability) and ‘Samridhi’ (prosperity)! That is, respect for traditional skills, empowerment of artisans, and prosperity in the lives of our Vishwakarma brothers – that is our goal.

And friends,

One more unique feature of the Vishwakarma Yojana is the scale on which various departments have come together to implement it – this is unprecedented. More than 700 districts, over 250,000 gram panchayats, and 5,000 urban local bodies across the country are driving this campaign. Within just one year, more than 20 lakh people from 18 different professions have been connected to this initiative. In just one year, over 800,000 craftsmen and artisans have received skill training and skill upgrades. In Maharashtra alone, over 60,000 people have been trained. This training includes new technologies such as modern machinery and digital tools. So far, more than 650,000 Vishwakarma brothers have also received modern equipment. This has improved the quality of their products and increased their productivity. Moreover, each beneficiary is being given an e-voucher worth 15,000 rupees. They can also avail loans up to 3 lakh rupees without collateral to expand their businesses. I am happy to say that loans worth 1,400 crore rupees have been provided to Vishwakarma brothers and sisters within one year. In other words, the Vishwakarma Yojana is taking care of every aspect. This is why the Vishwakarma Yojana is so successful and popular.

And just now, our Jitan Ram Manjhi ji was describing the exhibition. I visited the exhibition and saw the incredible work that our people traditionally do. When they are provided with new modern technological tools, training, and seed money to grow their businesses, they achieve extraordinary results. I have just witnessed this. And to all of you who are here, I request you to definitely visit this exhibition. You will feel so proud to see the immense transformation that has taken place.

Friends,

Our traditional skills have been predominantly practiced by the SC, ST, and OBC communities. If previous governments had cared about the Vishwakarma brothers, it would have been a great service to these communities. However, Congress and its allies deliberately prevented the SC, ST, and OBC communities from progressing. We have eradicated this anti-Dalit, anti-backward mindset of the Congress from the government system. The data from the past year shows that today, the SC, ST, and OBC communities are the biggest beneficiaries of the Vishwakarma Yojana. I want the Vishwakarma community and those involved in these traditional crafts not to remain just artisans. I want them to become entrepreneurs and businessmen. That’s why we have given the work of Vishwakarma brothers and sisters the status of MSMEs. Through initiatives like One District One Product and Ekta Mall, traditional products are being marketed. Our goal is for these people to expand their businesses and become part of the supply chain of large companies.

For this reason,

Platforms like ONDC and GeM are helping craftsmen, artisans, and small business owners grow their businesses. This beginning shows that the class that was left behind in economic progress will play a crucial role in making Bharat the third-largest economy in the world. The government's Skill India Mission is also empowering this effort. Under the ‘Kaushal Vikas Abhiyan’ (Skill Development Campaign), millions of youth across the country have received skill training that meets today’s needs. Initiatives like Skill India have started gaining global recognition for Bharat’s skills. After our government was formed, we established a separate Ministry of Skill Development, led by our Jitendra Chaudhary ji. Under his leadership, a major event was held in France this year for World Skills. We often talk about the Olympics, but there was a grand event in France showcasing skills. Many of our small artisans and workers participated in that event, and Bharat won numerous awards. This is a matter of pride for all of us.

Friends,

Maharashtra has immense industrial potential, and the textile industry is one of them. This region of Vidarbha has been a significant hub for high-quality cotton production. But for decades, what did Congress and later the Maha-Aghadi government do? Instead of empowering the farmers of Maharashtra by making cotton their strength, they pushed them into hardship. These parties only engaged in politics and corruption in the name of farmers. The situation began to improve only when Devendra Fadnavis's government was formed in 2014. Back then, the textile park was established in Nandgaon Khandeshwar of Amravati. Do you remember what the condition of that place was? No industry was willing to come there. But now, that very area is becoming a significant industrial hub for Maharashtra.

Friends,

The rapid progress being made on the PM-MITRA Park shows the determination of the double-engine government. We are establishing seven such PM-MITRA Parks across the country. Our vision is "Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Fabric, Fabric to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign." This means that the high-quality fabric will be produced right here from Vidarbha’s cotton. Clothes will be made here according to fashion trends, and these fashionable clothes will be exported to foreign countries. This will put an end to the losses farmers face in farming. They will get a good price for their crops, and value will be added to them. The PM-MITRA Park alone has an investment potential of 8,000 to 10,000 crore rupees. This will create over one lakh new job opportunities for the youth in Vidarbha and Maharashtra. Other industries will also be promoted here, and new supply chains will be created. The country's exports will increase, and incomes will rise.

And brothers and sisters,

Maharashtra is also preparing the necessary modern infrastructure and connectivity for this industrial progress. Maharashtra is geared up for a new industrial revolution through new highways, expressways, the Samruddhi Mahamarg, and the expansion of water and air connectivity.

Friends,

I believe that the true hero of Maharashtra’s multi-dimensional progress is its farmers! When the farmers of Maharashtra, especially Vidarbha, are prosperous, the nation will prosper too. This is why our double-engine government is working together for the prosperity of farmers. You can see that the central government sends 6,000 rupees to farmers under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, and the Maharashtra government adds another 6,000 rupees. Now, farmers in Maharashtra receive 12,000 rupees annually. To ensure farmers don’t bear the cost of crop losses, we’ve introduced crop insurance for just one rupee. The Maharashtra government under Eknath Shinde has also waived the electricity bills for farmers. Our government had started several efforts to solve the irrigation issues in this region. However, an interim government halted all work. This government has once again accelerated irrigation projects. Recently, a project costing 85,000 crore rupees to link the Wainganga and Nalganga rivers has been approved. This will provide irrigation to 10 lakh acres of land in six districts: Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola, and Buldhana.

Friends,

We are fulfilling the demands of Maharashtra’s farmers. The export tax on onions has been reduced from 40% to 20%. We have imposed a 20% tax on imported edible oils. The customs duty on refined soybean, sunflower, and palm oil has been increased from 12.5% to 32.5%. This will greatly benefit our soybean farmers. We will soon see the results of these efforts. But we must be cautious. We cannot give another chance to Congress and its allies, who have brought farmers to this dire situation. Congress means one thing – lies, deceit, and dishonesty! They made big promises like loan waivers for farmers during the elections in Telangana. But after coming to power, farmers are struggling for loan waivers, and no one is listening to them. We must stay vigilant against their deceit in Maharashtra.

Friends,

The Congress we see today is not the same Congress that Mahatma Gandhi and other great leaders were once associated with. Today’s Congress has lost its soul of patriotism, and instead, it has been consumed by the ghost of hatred. Just look at the way Congress leaders speak, their statements, and how they go abroad and speak against their own country. They talk about dividing society, dividing the nation, and disrespecting Indian culture and faith. This Congress is now being run by the ‘Tukde Tukde Gang’ (separatist elements) and urban Naxals. Today, if there’s a party most corrupt and dishonest in the country, it’s the Congress Party. If there’s one family that’s the most corrupt, it’s the royal family of the Congress.

Friends,

Any party that respects our faith and culture would never oppose Ganpati worship. But today’s Congress even has hatred for Ganpati Puja. The land of Maharashtra stands as a witness that the Ganpati festival became a celebration of Bharat’s unity under the leadership of Lokmanya Tilak during the freedom struggle. People from all communities and classes came together during Ganesh Utsav. And that’s exactly why the Congress Party despises Ganpati Puja. When I attended a Ganesh Puja, the Congress' appeasement politics was triggered, and they started opposing the Ganpati celebration. Congress is willing to go to any extent for its appeasement politics. You all saw what happened in Karnataka—Congress’s government there went so far as to imprison even Ganpati Bappa! The idol that people were worshipping was put into a police van. While Maharashtra was worshipping Ganpati, the idol of Ganpati in Karnataka was behind bars in a police van.

Friends,

The entire nation is outraged at this disrespect towards Ganpati. I am shocked that even Congress’s allies have fallen silent on this issue. They too have been so influenced by Congress that they no longer have the courage to oppose the insult of Ganpati.

Brothers and sisters,

We must unite and answer these sins of the Congress. We must stand together with tradition and progress. We must stand together for respect and development. Together, we will protect Maharashtra’s pride, and together, we will enhance the glory of Maharashtra. We will fulfill Maharashtra’s dreams. With this spirit, seeing the enormous support you’ve shown for these important schemes, I can feel how these schemes will impact the lives of people in Vidarbha and across Bharat. I once again congratulate all the Vishwakarma brothers and sisters, and all my fellow citizens of Vidarbha and Maharashtra.

Say with me—

Bharat Mata ki -- Jai!

Raise both your hands and say it with full strength —

Bharat Mata ki—Jai!

Bharat Mata ki—Jai!

Thank you very much.

*****

MJPS/ VJ/VK