New Delhi: On the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described it as the most dastardly terror assault India has faced and said it is the country’s capability that it not only recovered but is also crushing terrorism with all its courage.
In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio broadcast, Modi paid homage to those who lost their lives in the 2008 attack which, he noted, had shaken up the country.
“We can never forget November 26. It was on this day that the most heinous terrorist attack took place in the country. Terrorists had shaken up Mumbai and the entire country. But, it is India’s capability that we recovered from that attack and now we are also crushing terrorism with full courage,” he asserted.
Ten Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan had arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during a 60-hour siege in Mumbai.
The prime minister also noted that November 26 is also important for another reason as in 1949, the Constituent Assembly had adopted the Constitution of India on this day.
The Modi government had announced in 2015 to commemorate November 26 as Constitution Day.
Everyone together by giving priorities to their duties will definitely fulfil the resolve of making the country developed, Modi said.
The prime minister said in consonance with the times, circumstances and requirements of the country, various governments carried out amendments at different times and said it was unfortunate that the first amendment was meant to curtail freedom of speech and expression.
Noting that it took two years, 11 months and 18 days to prepare the Constitution, he said over 2,000 amendments were made to its draft and, since its adoption in 1950, it has been amended 106 times.
There were 15 women among those nominated to the constituent assembly, he said, noting that India was among the few countries which has given women voting rights.
The passage of the women reservation bill to ensure their quota in Lok Sabha and assemblies is in line with the foresight of the makers of Constitution, he asserted, describing it as a matter of his inner satisfaction as well.
He said, “This will provide a fillip to the pace of accomplishing our resolve of a developed India.”
In his monthly broadcast, the prime minister also lauded the growing acceptance of his ‘Vocal For Local’ campaign and said business of around Rs 4 lakh crore took place during recent festivals.
A lot of enthusiasm was seen among people to buy made-in-India products, he said.
The success of ‘Vocal For Local’ is opening the doors to a developed and prosperous India, he said.
“This campaign of ‘Vocal for Local’ strengthens the economy of the entire country. It is a guarantee of employment and balanced development of the country. This provides equal opportunities to both urban and rural people,” he said.
In this context, Modi also questioned the practice of some families organising weddings abroad and urged all to hold such celebrations within the country.
This will keep the country’s money within its borders, he said.
Asserting that the approval of Indian patents has seen a 10-fold rise in 10 years, he said administrative and legal reforms brought by his government have encouraged more youngsters to undertake innovations in different fields.
Patent applications from India have seen over 31 per cent rise in 2022, he said, asserting that intelligence, idea and innovation are the hallmarks of India’s youth.
“Nowadays, the power of social media is immense. Technology and mobile have reached every home. Be it your local festivals or products, you can make them global through them as well,” he said.
Raising the issue of water security, he said it is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century and asserted that conserving water is no less than saving life.
Lauding the creation of over 65,000 ponds across the country as part of the government’s ‘Amrit Sarovar’ campaign, he said it will benefit the coming generations.
“Now it is also our responsibility to ensure that wherever ‘Amrit Sarovar’ has been built, they should be regularly looked after so that they remain the main source of water conservation,” he said.
The prime minister told people that the trend of cash transaction has been declining and asked them to resort to making payment only through UPI or any other digital medium for one month.
“The success of the digital revolution in India has made this absolutely possible. And when one month is over, please share your experiences and your photos with me,” he said.
