Bullet Train Employee: The bullet train is our identity. This achievement belongs to you, Modi ji, and to us.

Prime Minister: What do you think? Is the speed fine? Are you working according to the timetable you had set, or are you facing any difficulties?

Bullet Train Employee: No sir, we are not facing any difficulties.

Prime Minister: What would you like to say?

Bullet Train Employee: I am from Kerala. I am working in Section-2, Navsari Noise (barrier factory).

Prime Minister: Is this your first time in Gujarat?

Bullet Train Employee: Yes sir. I am working here in Section-2 at the noise barrier factory, observing the robotic unit. The rebar cage for the noise barrier is there where we are welding it with the help of robots.

Prime Minister: What do you feel about building this bullet train, being part of the first bullet train project in Bharat? What do you think personally? What do you tell your family?

Bullet Train Employee: Sir, it feels like a dream. The work I am doing now will be very useful in the future. It is a proud moment for my family and for me, sir.

Prime Minister: See, unless you feel from within that “I am working for my country, I am giving something new to the nation,” the work won’t have the same meaning. The person who launched the first space satellite must have felt that way, and today hundreds of satellites are being launched.

Bullet Train Employee: Namaste sir, my name is Shruti. I am from Bengaluru, and I am the Lead Engineering Manager. I look after design and engineering control. As you said, whatever initial planning and implementation happens, it begins in the earlier stages. Then as we move towards execution, we check the pros and cons at every step. And if something isn’t working, we ask: why isn’t it working? First we try to find a solution. If even then we cannot, we look for alternative solutions. That’s how we progress step by step, sir.

Prime Minister: If your experiences are recorded, and a kind of “blue book” is prepared, it will help the country a lot as we move toward building more bullet trains. We wouldn’t want everyone to start from scratch each time. The learnings from here should be replicated elsewhere. But replication is only possible when there is knowledge of why a particular method is used. Otherwise people will simply copy without understanding. If you maintain such a record, it will even help students in the future. You will dedicate your life here, and leave something valuable for the nation.

Bullet Train Employee: We want neither fame nor reward. We only want the nation to progress. That is our desire.

Prime Minister: Wah!

Bullet Train Employee: Modi ji, may all your dreams come true. May the country’s name always rise high, again and again. The bullet train is our identity; the bullet train is our identity. This achievement is yours and ours, Modi ji.

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MJPS/VJ/VK