Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conferred the Award of BHARAT RATNA to Shri KARPOORI THAKUR former Bihar Chief Minister. Prime Minister NARENDRA MODI is going to win the elections in 2024 for the third time with thumping majority. Modi sahib will come more than 350 Lok Sabha seats and continue for the third term as the Prime Minister or as the Pradhan Sevak, as he loves to dub himself. Every 9 Indians out of 10, consider Narendra Modi as a gift of God to Indians. His acts of service to the NATION and the INDIANS cannot be confined in an Article, it needs a book to recount his wonderful achievements.
Seldom has any Indian politician on the global stage been more reviled and admired than Narendra Damodardas Modi. He evokes extreme sentiments among his admirers and detractors alike, ranging from outright vilification and loathing to crests of adulation. Hate him or love him but you cannot ignore the man who has beaten every conceivable odds to preside over the destiny of the world’s most populous country of 1.4 billions i.e. BHARAT.
Such is Modi’s international stature that no less than President Putin certified him as a fearless leader who would never compromise with national interests or be intimidated by any power or pressure. The kind of policies he pursues, Putin stated, is the biggest guarantor of the progressively evolving Indo-Russian ties. Similarly, Australian PM Anthony Albanese described Modi as ‘the boss’ and likened him to US rock star Bruce Springsteen, but one who could not match the scale of Modi’s bold image. The President of USA demands his Autograph. What is more, on the first ever visit by any Indian head of state to Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister James Marape even bent to touch Modi’s feet. The unprecedented show of respect and breaking with protocol, left the august gathering agape. Top US lawmakers lauded the PM for his leadership and his ‘energy and ‘charisma’ at the Madison Square Garden event, in his very first year in office. Former Speaker of the US House, Nancy Pelosi described his speech as “inspirational and visionary.”
Modi has traversed a very thorny and lonely path, overcoming many challenges first as an ordinary political worker, bursting into the limelight by unfurling the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, Kashmir on January 24, 1992 then at the peak of militancy. His act of defiance and daring, without any protection or even a bullet proof jacket, not only sent home an unmistakable message that terror operatives were too puny to subdue the mighty people of India, but also certified his steely determination to forge out a very different path and rewrite the future of India.
How Modi came to occupy the position firstly as Chief Minister. It was when PM Vajpayee asked him to shift to Gujarat from Delhi, Modi had to agree. Although unprepared for the call that came as a bolt from the blue, he understood its implications very well. But the future PM faced a real dilemma. Modi admitted to being out of touch with the state for a long time. He neither owned any house there, nor he was entitled to any accommodation at the Circuit House as a non MLA. But he insisted he (though staying there as Chief Minister) would pay for the stay out of his own pockets.
Barely a few months into office, Modi faced one of the biggest challenges of his administration, a powerful earthquake which struck Gujarat in January 2002 and plunged it into a massive crisis, rendering three lakh homeless and killing over 30,000 people. The CM tackled the disaster with his characteristic verve, overcoming many problems, given his vast exposure to the prevailing conditions in the hinterlands and serving villages as a political worker.
However, when Modi came into his own as the chief minister of Gujarat, it marked the most defining moment in Modi’s career. And the beginning of a political ascendency that scripted a paradigm shift in how progress and development is delivered across the board. The man who meant business transformed the very face of the state, empowering the “least, the last, the lowest and the lost,” over the longest tenure of nearly 13 years. Later with the expertise gained in tackling natural vagaries, he overcame the state’s erratic power supply and acute drinking and irrigation water shortage, plaguing Kutch and Banaskantha, building the largest dam on Sardar Sarovar which turned Gujarat into one of the greenest zones.
But as Gujarat prospered beyond expectations, the nation under the UPA Government sank into a quagmire of unprecedented 2G, Coal, Commonwealth Games and Tatra truck scams, and number of such other serious problems. So much so the UPA Government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that Bhagwan Ram is a fiction and not a reality. So also the legality of Ram Setu was also denied with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister under a Committee consisting of Sonia Gandhi and her people. The UPA Government harassed Modi CM Gujarat in 2002 Muslim riots case when the Muslims had put the train on fire which was carrying Karsevaks and volunteers in Godhra Railway Station and which was the outburst of the Hindu community and they had also suffered.
Modi contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He won with abosute majority. His bowing down and touching by his face the first step of the Parliament House, as we do in the temple or Gurudwara, clearly indicated the holy thoughts of PM Modi and significance of the Parlament for him. Then inviting the Heads of neighouring States at the oath ceremony also indicated that he wanted friendliness with the neighbouring countries. He declared war on brazen loot of public wealth and declaring in Hindi ‘NA KHAUNGA, NA KHANE DUNGA’. He followed this principle since he took over as Prime Minister of the Country. The various State Agencies like ED and CBI and other similar agecies are digging out tons and tons and big heaps of black money from the various political leaders and officials who had looted the public money illegally. Now the opposition parties are crying as they do not want their black money should go out of their hands. Hence they are trying to make a joint opposition to oppose Modi in the 2024 elections. It hardly matters.
Modi could not tolerate policy paralysis, rise of break India forces, prodigal waste of national resources, and ending with a culture of graft and crony capitalism. In his very first Independence Day address, the new PM, rebuffing a clichéd narrative, recognized the tremendous role played by revolutionaries in freeing India. It set the tone for the nation’s democratic revival and the rejection of Nehruvian policies. He also spoke of SWACHH BHARAT as a principle. He also provided to the Defense Forces which was necessary for them to fight fit and ready to reply.
Under Modi’s vigorous diplomatic outreach, India has developed a clout and a voice that commands both universal respect and rapt attention. He has shaken the world of diplomacy as never before, calling upon heads of state and foreign capitals with unflagging zeal. Rulers of Gulf States too have become his unabashed fans. Modi has distributed 292 million Covid-19 shots among a 100 plus countries, saving uncountable lives. His initiative brought home more than 3,000 Indians stranded in Sudan, besides 23,000 nationals from strife torn Ukraine. In April 2015, Indian Navy rescued 475 people from Yemen in Operation Rahat, which included 73 Indians, 337 B’Deshis and 65 Yemeni citizens of Indian origin. India has reportedly evacuated a total of 1.8 million plus nationals between 2020 and 2021. More than half a million were repatriated via land border crossings.
Working with a single minded determination and manic energy, Modi has undoubtedly scripted the most successful turnaround in the post-independence phase of the nation, unmatched in its scope and volume. What lies at the core of a man, who rose from utterly humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful and iconic political personalities in contemporary world history; indeed is a deserving claimant to Bharat Ratna!
The abrogation of Article 370 and 35A, construction of Ram Temple after the Supreme Court verdict, abolition of Triple Talaq and the passage of Citizens Amendment Act, 2019, in paving the way for granting nativity to persecuted minorities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis in B’Desh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, must count among his most epochal achievements. Modi coined ‘India First’ to reinterpret secularism as “whatever you do, wherever you work, India should be the top priority for all its citizens.” It lies at the core of his foreign policy, which seeks to protect India’s strategic interests and ensuring economic growth “by leaps and bounds.”
The resounding slogan of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and sabka vishwash was Modi’s message of unity with inclusion. The addition of Sabka Paryas with the earlier slogan, also seeks the best role of everyboy means introducing Nationalism and Moral Duty for everyone in the country. It implies that the nation can develop only if the emphasis is on every single individual, independently of his or her caste, colour and creed. This together with Panchamrit, namely the integration of knowledge, water, energy, security and human resources, is required for holistic and sustainable growth, as witnessed during his tenure in Gujarat. The dual philosophy forms the cornerstone of Modi’s model of governance.
Modi rarely sleeps for 4 hours in the day and night. He ensured that his ministers reached their offices punctually at 9 am and unfailingly submitted their daily progress reports. He brooked no excuses and resolutely put down red tape and bureaucratic delays, a regressive practice that shackled governance and encouraged bribery. All these steps, coupled with his emphasis on privatization and minimum governance, spurred tremendous growth and development. The state witnessed the fastest industrial expansion. In 2013, the United Nation placed India at top of the list of states for doing business with ease. He also made Yoga as International Day every year on June 21. He also pursued solar power as a future energy source. For instance, the Gujarat Solar Park, the largest in the land, came up under his watch.
The man in a hurry, lost no time in announcing a slew of bold new initiatives, such as Jan Dhan Yojna, adoption of villages by the MPs and MLAs, accidental insurance of Rs. 2 lakhs at monthly premium of Re. 1, scholarships to the poor students, which came in as a breath of fresh air. By linking the beneficiaries’ Aadhar cards with specific schemes, he shut out all the middlemen and saved tens of thousands of crores, when only 15 percent of the amount reached the end user, under the previous dispensations.
Demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes, announced suddenly on November 8, 2016 upset many who held unaccounted wealth and came in for wide criticism. There were reports that it went into fuelling anti India protests, propping up Break India forces and sustaining terrorism. But then the move broke the back of scamsters, bribe takers and political parties holding mountains of black money. A prominent politician from UP ended up surrendering a Rs 100 crore stash of currency notes! But demonetization really hit Pakistan hard, one which accounted for the bulk of fake notes circulating in India. From then on its economy went downhill and virtually crashed. Prices of essential items skyrocketed. People were spotted carrying cooking gas in plastic bags!
Modi provided our own army staff with full safety dress and also met their demand of ‘one rank, one pension’. He rejected the craven response to terror attacks and acted resolutely to punish the perpetrators. On June 9, 2015, India, in a first, conducted a surgical strike against Naga hostiles in Myanmar, who had ambushed and killed 18 personnel of 6 Dogra in Chandel, Manipur. Para Special Forces (SF) eliminated 38 insurgents. Responding to second terror attack on September 18, 2016 on an Army base in Uri, Kashmir, Para SF launched another operation ten days later against launch pads in PoK, killing dozens of terrorists, to avenge the deaths of 19 Indian soldiers. On February 26, 2019 a dozen IAF Mirage 2000 jets crossed the LoC and razed the Balakot based Jaish-e-Mohammed base camp in Pakistan, with precision guided munitions, eliminating more than 300 terror operatives, after the horrific deaths of 40 CRPF troopers in a suicide bombing! Modi government had carried out three surgical strikes between 2015 and 2019.
The approach of Prime Minister Modi to China was equally forceful. In 2017 Chinese tried to construct a road near DOKLAM, on the India-China border, Modi responded with equal strength. There was a standoff between the Indian Armed Forces and the PLA of China. Once while on the border tanks Modi made it clear to China, that they worship Lord Krishna who plays Flute, but we also worship the same Lord Krishna who plays SUDARSHANCHAKAR for the bad elements. Whenever PLA misbehaved, the Indian Armed Forces replied in more aggressive force.
But the most conspicuous has been the extraordinary drive in building infrastructure. Airports, seaports, expressways and other development projects, freed of the clutches of red tape and bureaucratic delays, are coming up at a dizzying pace. It includes the two Dedicated Freight Corridors, connecting important harbours with the hinterlands and the Bullet Train project. State of the art train stations, Rapid Rail Transit Systems, medical and engineering colleges, are also being undertaken expeditiously. Add to it linking of border areas with bridges, tunnels, rail and roads for better connectivity and movement of troops, in the light of critical strategic considerations.
Given India’s dismal record in sports and games, Modi focused on inclusivity and diversity, starting KHELO INDIA for giving an opportunity to the players, alongwith development of infrastructure and training to help Indian athletes excel on the world stage. The spate of reforms Modi had undertaken and the encouragement given to sports persons, individually and collectively, lies behind the increasing tally of medals won at the Tokyo Olympics, Asian Games and Paralympics. The PM described sports as a very important part of the national culture and lifestyle. India is now registering huge growth in the sports industry.
The provision of piped water, power, cooking gas, link roads, healthcare etc, much neglected over the decades following independence, received priority. More than 600 million people now have access to piped water, which include 133 million new connections, 113 million toilets, 40 million new homes, 47,000 km of highways added. The 110 million bank accounts in existence since August 1947 shot up to 520 million, within the first four months of the Modi government. More than 360 million LED bulbs were distributed free among weaker economic sections. The Jan Dhan Yojana has provided 450 poor people access to financial services. Free LPG connections also have been extended to more than 80 million poor households, under the Ujjwala Yojana. Similarly, 87 million rural households have power connections under the Saubhagya scheme. About 25 crore people have been taken above the poverty line.
In 2020, India registered a staggering 25 billion transactions through digital portals like the UPI, a system innovated by India, more than 10 billion of that of China. The nation also leads the world in digital payments at shops, restaurants and grocery stores. Similarly, half the population of India has access to the Internet. India has the distinction of being the world’s fastest-growing economy, with GDP growth of 7.4 per cent in 2022-23 and forex reserves having crossed the $600 billion mark.
Today UPI is the world’s most successful payment system, with tens of billions of transactions every year. Over the past five years, 300 million Indians benefitted from Ayushman Bharat, saving billions of dollars in medical expenses. “The diffusion of technology” under Modi’s watch has seen “proliferation of smartphones with cheap data plans (which) has connected nearly a billion Indians to the internet. . . . A startup culture has developed, mainly in the tech domain, and several unicorns (startups valued at $1 billion plus) have emerged,” wrote Shashi Tharoor.
After PM Modi received invitation for Presiding the PRAN PRATISHTA CEREMONY of the RAM LALLA IDOL fixed for 22 January 2024 at AYODHYA, PM MODI kept the fast for 11 days immediately before the ceremony and he broke his fast for performing the PRAN PRATISHTA CEREMONY. All these 11 days Prime Minister Modi remained on Coconut Water only which, I think a rare feat which nobody else can do. All these 11 days PM Modi remained worshipping at different places connected with the BANVAS of BHAGWAN RAM, MATA SITA AND LAKSHMAN. He also gave the call to the leaders for cleaning the temple wherever they were. Can we ever think of such a glaring example. I have heard the people saying THAT THEY WOULD BRING THE PERSON IN POWER in 2024 WHO HAS BROUGHT BHAGWAN RAM. Modi sahib is ruling the hearts of Indians.
It is a matter of pride for all Indians that 18 countries of the world have conferred their own country’s highest Award on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first ever instance in India’s history. He is the most deserving case for conferring on him the Award of BHARAT RATNA, the sooner we do, is the best. The country people are fortunate to have Modi as Prime Minister.
Article By Justice SN Aggarwal (Former Judge)
