First anniversary of Modi 2.0: In letter to citizens, PM hails India’s collective resilience to corona

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PTI)
NEW DELHI: PM 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 the people, massive efforts ensured that “inconvenience” didn’t turn into “disasters”.

“You have proven collective strength and potential of Indians is unparalleled compared even to the powerful and prosperous countries of the world. In a crisis of this magnitude, it can certainly not be claimed 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 said.

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The PM also 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,” he said.

Modi expressed satisfaction over bold decisions like "surgical" and "air" strikes inside Pakistan, highlighted the unanimous Ram Temple verdict of the Supreme Court, and termed triple talaq as a “barbaric practice”, which was made illegal last year. He also referred to the decision regarding Article 370, saying " it furthered the spirit of national unity and integration".

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The PM projected his two terms as a continuum, saying the people renewed the mandate because they wanted the government to build the foundation that had been laid in his first innings. “From 2014 to 2019, India's stature rose significantly. The dignity of the poor was enhanced. The nation achieved financial inclusion, free gas and electricity connections, total sanitation coverage and made progress towards ensuring 'Housing for All',” wrote the PM. “India demonstrated its mettle through surgical strikes and air strike. At the same time, decades old demands such as OROP, One Nation One Tax, better support price for farmers were fulfilled," he added.

Coming to the 2019 polls, he said, "In 2019, people of India voted not merely for continuity but also with a dream of taking India to new heights, to make the country a global leader."

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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.”

He 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, 130 crore Indians can not only surprise the world but also inspire it,” he said and reiterated that the need of the hour was to become become self-reliant and referred to the recent Rs 20 lakh crore 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.

Read full text of PM Modi's letter on his government's first anniversary

In Video:PM Modi addresses nation on first anniversary of Modi 2.0