Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a letter to citizens on completion of the first year of his second term on Friday, said the collective strength and resolve of people could be seen in the way India has dealt with coronavirus, as despite the "tremendous suffering" of people, massive efforts ensured that "inconvenience" didn't turn into "disasters".
“You have proven that the collective strength and potential of Indians is unparalleled compared even to the powerful and prosperous countries of the world,” he said amid the ongoing discussion over the plight of migrant workers. “In a crisis of this magnitude, it can certainly not be claimed that no one suffered any inconvenience or discomfort. Our labourers, migrant workers, artisans and craftsmen in small scale industries, hawkers and such fellow countrymen have undergone tremendous suffering,” he added.
The PM acknowledged people’s privation but pointed to India’s collective resilience against the pandemic even as he gave a detailed account of his government’s performance.
“The list of such historic actions and decisions taken in national interest would be too long to detail in this letter. But I must say that every day of this year, my government has worked round the clock with full vigour, taking and implementing these decisions,” the PM said. Modi expressed satisfaction over bold decisions like "surgical" and "air" strikes inside Pakistan, highlighted unanimous Ram Temple verdict of the Supreme Court, and termed triple talaq as a “barbaric practice”, which was made illegal last year.
Referring to India’s fight against Covid-19, he said, “While on one hand there are powers with great economic resources and state-of-the-art healthcare systems, on the other hand is our country besieged with problems amidst a vast population and limited resources. Many feared that India will become a problem for the world when corona hits India. But today, through sheer confidence and resilience, you have transformed the way the world looks at us.”
It’s a long battle and we are traversing on path of victory
PM Modi further said, “However, we have to take care to ensure that inconveniences that we are facing do not turn into disasters. Hence, it is very important for every Indian to follow all rules and guidelines.” Modi said the country had displayed patience so far and should continue to do so.
“This is one of the important reasons for India being safer and in a better state than many other countries. This is a long battle but we have started traversing on the path of victory, and victory is our collective resolve,” he added.
The PM referred to the debate on how economies will recover as he exuded confidence that India will set an example in economic revival too. “In the economic domain, through their strength, 1,300 million Indians can not only surprise the world but also inspire it,” he said and reiterated that the need of the hour was to become self-reliant and referred to the recent £200 billion package as a major step in this direction.
He recalled some of the prominent decisions of his government like nullification of Article 370, which he said had furthered the spirit of national unity and integration.
“The Ram Mandir judgment, delivered unanimously by the Supreme Court, brought an amicable end to a debate persisting for centuries. The barbaric practice of triple talaq has been confined to the dustbin of history. Amendment to the Citizenship Act was an expression of India’s compassion and spirit of inclusiveness,” he added.
