PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort in Delhi on the occasion of India's 80th Independence Day. This was his 13th consecutive address.
In his address, he also mentioned the first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru.
PM Modi also took the names of Pandit Nehru along with Sardar Patel, Syama Prasad Mukherjee in his speech.
Concluding the speech, Narendra Modi said that we should move forward taking inspiration from the dreams seen by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Lord Birsa Munda and Jyotiba Phule.
During his speech, PM Modi, while enumerating the achievements of his 12 years in office, made special mention of the youth, women, farmers, poor and middle class families and reiterated his resolve to create a developed India by 2047.
On this occasion, PM Modi, while referring to Vande Mataram, said, "After independence, this is the time when the echo of 'Vande Mataram' has been heard from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Today we are all celebrating the 80th Independence Day. When the people of India are celebrating 150 years of 'Vande Mataram', what could be a better occasion than this?"
In his speech, he enumerated India's achievements ranging from manufacturing, textile industry, defence, railways, connectivity, pharma industry to startups.
He also praised the policies of his government by mentioning the crisis of the Corona period and the energy crisis that arose during the recent wars.
He called upon all political parties to implement 33 percent women's reservation in the Assembly and Lok Sabha.
He shared the vision of 'Seven Streams of Power' to create a developed India.
Naxalism and Maoism have ruined the future of millions of youth and shattered the dreams of every parent.
Naxalism had suppressed large parts of India and a large population at gunpoint for four decades and had torn the Constitution to pieces. More than three and a half thousand of our police and security forces were martyred. As many policemen died during the war as they had to risk their lives.
This Naxalism had drenched the earth in blood. In 2014 itself, we had resolved that we will free the country from Naxalism. Today Naxal and Maoist violence is taking its last breaths. The tricolor of development, faith and efforts is flying in those Naxalite areas where the bullets of Naxalites used to be fired, where the land was once bloodstained.
But this challenge should not be underestimated. We have to be more careful. For years, Maoist thinking was in power in the country by making space in the public corridors, this Maoist thinking had influenced the policies even in the government advisory committees.
We have been successful in eliminating armed Naxalites in the forests. The armed Naxals are gone but these mental Naxals are looking for an opportunity. Opening the way for violence and anarchy. They are making various moves to pull the society on the wrong path.
These mental Naxalites have to be identified and they have to be isolated.
In the last 12 years, millions of citizens of the country have made every effort to take the country to new heights with a strong resolve.
The result of this is that in such a short time, 25 crore countrymen have come out of poverty.
The result of the efforts of these countrymen is that we have transformed into a big and fast-paced economy.
The country became independent but we could not catch up. By 2014, the world had dumped us into the Fragile Five. But in last 12 years, India has gained a new pace.
In the last 12 years, defense increased four times, Khadi village industries increased five times, mobile phone production increased 33 times, we have also hoisted our flag in digital innovation, digital transactions increased 100 times and the number of patent grants increased four times.
Every year, he built toilets and built houses for the poor at four times the speed. We expanded the metro. This scale, speed and expansion of work has been seen for the first time in the last decade after independence.
In view of this, the resolve to become a developed India in 2047 cannot remain incomplete.
India no longer has to live dependent on other countries but has to remain self-reliant. We get a lot of things in this world, we get it cheaply, we get it quickly but it does not increase our strength.
We have to become self-reliant in our own interests. We have to move forward with Make in India, Local for Vocal, Self-reliant India.
India has set up its three semiconductor plants and production has started. Five to eight more semiconductor plants will be started in the coming seven-eight years.
The world is also looking towards India in critical minerals.
We need energy for chips, AI, data centers. Energy security is very important. For this we have passed peace bills for nuclear energy. We have taken a step towards becoming self-reliant in nuclear energy.
India has also taken steps in energy security.
Today the country has to depend on crude oil. This was because of our wrong thinking.
Earlier, 99 percent of the sea coast was declared a no go area. This was poverty of thinking. We made this no go area a 'go ahead area'. We have started trying to find new reserves inside it also.
For this, we have taken a step forward by announcing Samudra Manthan Scheme at a cost of Rs 85000 crore.
Before 2014, only 70 cities in our country had piped gas facility. In 12 years it has been expanded to 700 cities. This is speed.
Instead of 20-22 lakh houses before 2014, today piped gas is being supplied to 2.25 crore houses.
In the year 2014, there were two giga watts of solar energy, today it has increased to 160 giga watts.
The work of electrification of railways started in 1925 but in 90 years only 30 percent of the railways could be electrified.
Look at our speed, we have completed 70 percent of the work within a decade.
Due to this, diesel was saved and the environment was benefited due to electricity.
The country has started the first hydrogen-powered train. This is the longest and most powerful train.
Had to face many crises in the last 12 years. The Corona epidemic has disrupted the entire world system. If it came out of this, there would be a crisis of wars. On one side, Russia is facing war in Ukraine and on the other side, there is a crisis of war in West Asia.
But some people used to say things like scaring the country, keeping it worried, vaccine will not be available, people will not be saved from Covid, nothing is going to happen.
When the crisis in West Asia came, it was said that petrol would not be available, fertilizer would not be available, gas would not be available. Some people are enjoying spreading this concern. But despite so many crises, we overcame these crises with the thought of 'Citizen Devo Bhava'.
Today there is gas, petrol and urea in the country. We stand today. Everything is getting done.
The price of urea in the global market is Rs 3000 per bag. Today we are able to give it to our farmers for Rs 300.
The market of DAP has reached five thousand in the world but we are making it available to the farmers at a lower price.
The goal of a developed India by 2047 stands on a strong foundation. A quarter of the century has passed, the next quarter is extremely important. Now we cannot stop, our direction has been decided.
Now we have to change our work culture, the pace of work will also have to change. The work which was not done in five decades has to be completed in the next five years.
We have to reform. We have moved towards Reform Express. We will move forward towards reform in the coming times. There will be reform in everything.
A new trend is needed to make a developed India. I invoke the seven streams of power.
He will give new heights to the country. The potential of India's youth power will be added to India's development.
Manufacturing will have to be taken forward a lot, along with increasing production, small parts will have to be made, and big machinery will also have to be made.
Farmers will give emphasis to chemical free farming.
We will realize the dream of developed India in this way. We have to keep reforming. We are doing reforms not out of compulsion but through conviction.
Youth has a big role in developed India, its biggest beneficiary is also youth. The goal of developed India is to connect with the youth.
There are more than 2.5 lakh registered startups. One lakh crore rupees have been kept for this, which will give wings to the dreams of the youth.
Apart from this, Narendra Modi, while referring to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, said that I request all the political parties under the tricolor flag from the Red Fort to come forward in honor of those women and contribute in giving 33 percent representation to women in the assemblies and Parliament.
