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New Delhi The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the abrogation of Article 370, and the law against triple talaq, all long-standing demands of the majority of Indians, were achieved in the past decade, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday, prefacing the last parliamentary session of the second Narendra Modi government with an opening address to a joint sitting of Parliament.
In an 80-minute speech in the new Parliament building, Murmu presented the government’s achievements over 10 years across a variety of areas, offering a glimpse into the issues the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will focus on ahead of the 2024 elections.
“Since childhood, we have been hearing the slogan of ‘Garibi Hatao’ (Indira Gandhi’s plank in 1971). Now, for the first time in our lives, we are witnessing eradication of poverty on a massive scale,” the President said, adding that poor people, along with youth, women and farmers would be the four “strong pillars of Viksit (developed) Bharat”.
READ | On R-Day eve, President Murmu terms Ram Temple inauguration a landmark
From security to space, digital infrastructure to women’s empowerment, agriculture to foreign affairs, and the economy to the climate crisis, the President’s speech listed policies, schemes, and milestones, often comparing the current position with what was before the Narendra Modi government took charge in 2014.
Speaking in the new Lok Sabha chamber, Murmu said, “For centuries, there was an aspiration to construct the Ram Mandir. Today it is a reality. There were doubts regarding the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Those are now history. This Parliament also enacted a strict law against ‘Triple Talaq’…,” amid thunderous applause from ruling lawmakers led by Modi.
Describing the Ram Mandir as “a matter of aspirations and faith for crores of our countrymen and the resolution of this has been accomplished in a harmonious manner”, the President hailed the installation of Ram Lalla (the infant Ram) in a “grand temple” in Ayodhya and said: “There come junctures in the history of civilisations which shape the future for the coming centuries. There have been many such defining moments in the history of India also. This year, on January 22, the country witnessed a similar epochal moment. After waiting for centuries, Ram Lalla has now been enshrined in his grand temple in Ayodhya.”
Her speech also mentioned the Modi government’s flagship programmes for poor people and cited a recent NITI Aayog report to announce in the last one decade of the government, about 250 million Indians have been lifted out of poverty (as defined by a multidimensional index that tracks access to essential services and products). Murmu added that a significant section of tax revenues are spent on empowerment of the four pillars, pointing out that, for instance, ₹6 lakh crore has been spent to give 41 million poor families their own pucca (permanent) houses.
Welfare and essential services were a recurring theme in the President’s speech.
“For the first time, piped water has reached about 110 million rural families. Around ₹4 lakh crore is being spent for this. 100 million Ujjwala gas connections have by now been provided. These beneficiary sisters are also being provided cooking gas at very cheap rates. My government has spent around ₹2.5 lakh crore on this scheme. Since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, 800 million Indians are being given free ration. This facility has now been extended for another five years and an additional ₹11 lakh crore would be spent on this,” she told Parliament.
She singled out Digital India for special attention, and said 46% of the world’s total real-time digital transactions take place in India and the government has so far transferred ₹34 lakh crore through DBT (direct benefits transfer), preventing ₹2.75 lakh crore from going into wrong hands.
Murmu also detailed the government’s efforts to empower women, reminding Parliament that this year’s Republic Day Parade was dedicated to the cause. At the parade on the country’s 75th Republic Day on January 26, women were everywhere, in the flypast, in mechanised columns, in marching contingents, in bands, and in the cultural extravaganza.
“My government has enlarged the role of daughters everywhere — in water, land, sky and space. We all are aware what economic independence means for women,” added Murmu, India’s second woman and first tribal president.
She added that around 100 million women are associated with self-help groups that gets ₹40,000 crores of credit and said, “Out of more than 460 million loans extended under Mudra Yojana, more than 310 million loans have been given to women.”
Two other recurring themes in the President’s speech were Amrit Kaal, the 25 years between 2022 and 2047 and leading to India’s 100th anniversary of independence, and Viksit Bharat (developed India). Murmu said that the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat is not limited to economic prosperity alone. “We are giving equal importance to social, cultural and strategic strengths. Without them, the development and economic prosperity would not be permanent.”
Murmu said, “This is the time for India to script the future for the coming centuries… Hence, my government is now working on a grand vision. This vision also has a programme for the next five years. It also has a road map for the next 25 years.”
The President spoke of the massive expansion in physical infrastructure that has happened over the past decade and of how the government has prioritised over 100 million small farmers through its policies. The emphasis, she said, is “on making farming more profitable. Our aim is to reduce the cost of farming while increasing profits,” she announced.
India has transformed in the past decade, Murmu said, from a “fragile five” to a “top five” economy, with an increase in its tax base and exports. It has continued to grow despite global headwinds from Covid and other crises, and also managed to keep inflation under check, she said.
India is the fastest-growing major economy in the world, the first country to hoist its flag on the southern pole of the Moon, and launched a successful solar mission, Aditya, Murmu said.
She also underscored that India’s clout was growing on the global stage.
“Even in this era of global disputes and conflicts, my government has firmly placed India’s interests before the world. The scope of India’s foreign policy today has gone far beyond the constraints of the past. Today India is a respected member of many global organisations. Today India is a leading voice in the world against terrorism,” she said.
“Today India responds strongly and takes initiatives for the humanity caught in crises. Wherever there is a crisis in the world today, India tries to respond promptly…The whole world appreciated the historic G20 Summit held in India. The unanimous adoption of the Delhi Declaration even in a fractured environment is historic,” the President said.
Murmu quoted late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee to say that the country will never stop its journey. “My government is moving ahead with the guarantee of fulfilling the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians.”
Young people in schools and colleges have different dreams and aspirations (from those of earlier generations), she told Parliamentarians. “It is the responsibility of us all to leave no stone unturned to fulfil the dreams of the Amrit generation.”
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