Published By : Admin | January 21, 2024 | 11:45 IST
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“Be it the field of education, agriculture or health, Khodaldham Trust has done excellent work in every direction”
“30 new cancer hospitals have been developed in the country in the last 9 years”
“Ayushman Arogya Mandir is playing an important role in initial detection of diseases”
“Gujarat has made unprecedented progress in health sector in the last 20 years”
প্রধানমন্ত্রী শ্রী নরেন্দ্র মোদী আজ ভিডিও বার্তার মাধ্যমে শ্রী খোডলধাম ট্রাস্ট-ক্যান্সার হাসপাতালের শিলান্যাস অনুষ্ঠানে ভাষণ দেন। এই উপলক্ষে প্রধানমন্ত্রী বলেন, আমরেলি-র এই ক্যান্সার হাসপাতালের গবেষণা কেন্দ্রের ভিত্তিপ্রস্তর স্থাপন মানব সেবা ও কল্যাণের ক্ষেত্রে শ্রী খোডলধাম ট্রাস্টের একটি অন্যতম গুরুত্বপূর্ণ পদক্ষেপ। প্রধানমন্ত্রী জানান, সেবা, মূল্যবোধ ও ত্যাগের অঙ্গীকার নিয়ে ১৪ বছর আগে এই ট্রাস্টের যাত্রা শুরু হয়েছিল। তখন থেকেই লক্ষ লক্ষ মানুষের জীবনে পরিবর্তন আনার লক্ষ্যে এই ট্রাস্ট কাজ করে চলেছে। এ প্রসঙ্গে শিক্ষা, কৃষি ও স্বাস্থ্যের ক্ষেত্রে এই ট্রাস্টের ভূমিকার কথা উল্লেখ করেন শ্রী মোদী।
তিনি বলেন, ক্যান্সারের চিকিৎসা যে কোনো ব্যক্তি বা পরিবারের কাছে একটি বড় চ্যালেঞ্জ। তিনি জানান, গত ৯ বছরে দেশে প্রায় ৩০টি নতুন ক্যান্সার হাসপাতাল তৈরি করা হয়েছে এবং ১০টি নতুন ক্যান্সার হাসপাতাল তৈরির কাজ চলছে। প্রধানমন্ত্রী বলেন, সঠিক সময়ে ক্যান্সার নির্ণয় অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ। তাই কেন্দ্রীয় সরকার গ্রামস্তরে ১.৫ লক্ষেরও বেশি আয়ুষ্মান আরোগ্য মন্দির গড়ে তুলেছে। তিনি বলেন, ক্যান্সার তাড়াতাড়ি নির্ণয় করা গেলে চিকিৎসা করতে অনেক সুবিধা হয়।
প্রধানমন্ত্রী বলেন, গত ২০ বছরে গুজরাটে স্বাস্থ্যক্ষেত্রে নজিরবিহীন অগ্রগতি ঘটেছে। তিনি জানান, ২০০২ সাল পর্যন্ত গুজরাটে যেখানে মাত্র ১১টি মেডিকেল কলেজ ছিল, তা এখন বেড়ে ৪০-এ পৌঁছে গিয়েছে। তিনি আরও জানান, এমবিবিএস আসন সংখ্যা পাঁচগুণ এবং পোস্ট-গ্র্যাজুয়েটে তিনগুণ আসন বৃদ্ধি পেয়েছে। তিনি বলেন, ২০০২ সাল পর্যন্ত গুজরাটে ফার্মেসি কলেজের সংখ্যা ছিল ১৩, যা এখন বেড়ে প্রায় ১০০-তে পৌঁছে গেছে।
দেশের উন্নয়নে স্বাস্থ্য পরিষেবার গুরুত্বের কথা উল্লেখ করেন প্রধানমন্ত্রী। এ প্রসঙ্গে তিনি আয়ুষ্মান ভারত যোজনার কথা উল্লেখ করে বলেন, এই প্রকল্পে বিপুল সংখ্যক ক্যান্সার রোগী সহ ৬ কোটির বেশি মানুষ বিনা খরচে চিকিৎসার সুযোগ পাচ্ছেন। দেশের ১০ হাজারটি জন ঔষধি কেন্দ্রে ৮০ শতাংশ ছাড়ে ওষুধ বিক্রির কথাও উল্লেখ করেন প্রধানমন্ত্রী। সেইসঙ্গে তিনি জানান, প্রধানমন্ত্রী জন ঔষধি কেন্দ্রের সংখ্যা ২৫ হাজারে নিয়ে যাওয়ার লক্ষ্যমাত্রা স্থির করেছে কেন্দ্র। এই ট্রাস্ট তার সেবাকার্য অব্যাহত রাখবে বলে আশা প্রকাশ করেন প্রধানমন্ত্রী। সেইসঙ্গে, দেশের উন্নয়নে কাজ করার ট্রাস্টের কাছে আবেদন জানান তিনি।
Your Excellency President Irfan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Philips, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Former President Donald Ramotar, Members of the Guyanese Cabinet, Members of the Indo-Guyanese Community,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Namaskar!
Seetaram !
I am delighted to be with all of you today.First of all, I want to thank President Irfan Ali for joining us.I am deeply touched by the love and affection given to me since my arrival.I thank President Ali for opening the doors of his home to me.
I thank his family for their warmth and kindness. The spirit of hospitality is at the heart of our culture. I could feel that, over the last two days. With President Ali and his grandmother, we also planted a tree. It is part of our initiative, "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam", that is, "a tree for mother”. It was an emotional moment that I will always remember.
Friends,
I was deeply honoured to receive the ‘Order of Excellence’, the highest national award of Guyana. I thank the people of Guyana for this gesture. This is an honour of 1.4 billion Indians. It is the recognition of the 3 lakh strong Indo-Guyanese community and their contributions to the development of Guyana.
Friends,
I have great memories of visiting your wonderful country over two decades ago. At that time, I held no official position. I came to Guyana as a traveller, full of curiosity. Now, I have returned to this land of many rivers as the Prime Minister of India. A lot of things have changed between then and now. But the love and affection of my Guyanese brothers and sisters remains the same! My experience has reaffirmed - you can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian.
Friends,
Today, I visited the India Arrival Monument. It brings to life, the long and difficult journey of your ancestors nearly two centuries ago. They came from different parts of India. They brought with them different cultures, languages and traditions. Over time, they made this new land their home. Today, these languages, stories and traditions are part of the rich culture of Guyana.
I salute the spirit of the Indo-Guyanese community. You fought for freedom and democracy. You have worked to make Guyana one of the fastest growing economies. From humble beginnings you have risen to the top. Shri Cheddi Jagan used to say: "It matters not what a person is born, but who they choose to be.”He also lived these words. The son of a family of labourers, he went on to become a leader of global stature.
President Irfan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, former President Donald Ramotar, they are all Ambassadors of the Indo Guyanese community. Joseph Ruhomon, one of the earliest Indo-Guyanese intellectuals, Ramcharitar Lalla, one of the first Indo-Guyanese poets, Shana Yardan, the renowned woman poet, Many such Indo-Guyanese made an impact on academics and arts, music and medicine.
Friends,
Our commonalities provide a strong foundation to our friendship. Three things, in particular, connect India and Guyana deeply. Culture, cuisine and cricket! Just a couple of weeks ago, I am sure you all celebrated Diwali. And in a few months, when India celebrates Holi, Guyana will celebrate Phagwa.
This year, the Diwali was special as Ram Lalla returned to Ayodhya after 500 years. People in India remember that the holy water and shilas from Guyana were also sent to build the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Despite being oceans apart, your cultural connection with Mother India is strong.
I could feel this when I visited the Arya Samaj Monument and Saraswati Vidya Niketan School earlier today. Both India and Guyana are proud of our rich and diverse culture. We see diversity as something to be celebrated, not just accommodated. Our countries are showing how cultural diversity is our strength.
Friends,
Wherever people of India go, they take one important thing along with them. The food! The Indo-Guyanese community also has a unique food tradition which has both Indian and Guyanese elements. I am aware that Dhal Puri is popular here! The seven-curry meal that I had at President Ali’s home was delicious. It will remain a fond memory for me.
Friends,
The love for cricket also binds our nations strongly. It is not just a sport. It is a way of life, deeply embedded in our national identity. The Providence National Cricket Stadium in Guyana stands as a symbol of our friendship.
Kanhai, Kalicharan, Chanderpaul are all well-known names in India. Clive Lloyd and his team have been a favourite of many generations. Young players from this region also have a huge fan base in India. Some of these great cricketers are here with us today. Many of our cricket fans enjoyed the T-20 World Cup that you hosted this year.
Your cheers for the ‘Team in Blue’ at their match in Guyana could be heard even back home in India!
Friends,
This morning, I had the honour of addressing the Guyanese Parliament. Coming from the Mother of Democracy, I felt the spiritual connect with one of the most vibrant democracies in the Caribbean region. We have a shared history that binds us together. Common struggle against colonial rule, love for democratic values, And, respect for diversity.
We have a shared future that we want to create. Aspirations for growth and development, Commitment towards economy and ecology, And, belief in a just and inclusive world order.
Friends,
I know the people of Guyana are well-wishers of India. You would be closely watching the progress being made in India. India’s journey over the past decade has been one of scale, speed and sustainability.
In just 10 years, India has grown from the tenth largest economy to the fifth largest. And, soon, we will become the third-largest. Our youth have made us the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. India is a global hub for e-commerce, AI, fintech, agriculture, technology and more.
We have reached Mars and the Moon. From highways to i-ways, airways to railways, we are building state of art infrastructure. We have a strong service sector. Now, we are also becoming stronger in manufacturing. India has become the second largest mobile manufacturer in the world.
Friends,
India’s growth has not only been inspirational but also inclusive. Our digital public infrastructure is empowering the poor. We opened over 500 million bank accounts for the people. We connected these bank accounts with digital identity and mobiles. Due to this, people receive assistance directly in their bank accounts. Ayushman Bharat is the world’s largest free health insurance scheme. It is benefiting over 500 million people.
We have built over 30 million homes for those in need. In just one decade, we have lifted 250 million people out of poverty. Even among the poor, our initiatives have benefited women the most. Millions of women are becoming grassroots entrepreneurs, generating jobs and opportunities.
Friends,
While all this massive growth was happening, we also focused on sustainability. In just a decade, our solar energy capacity grew 30-fold ! Can you imagine ?We have moved towards green mobility, with 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol.
At the international level too, we have played a central role in many initiatives to combat climate change. The International Solar Alliance, The Global Biofuels Alliance, The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Many of these initiatives have a special focus on empowering the Global South.
We have also championed the International Big Cat Alliance. Guyana, with its majestic Jaguars, also stands to benefit from this.
Friends,
Last year, we had hosted President Irfaan Ali as the Chief Guest of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. We also received Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in India. Together, we have worked to strengthen bilateral cooperation in many areas.
Today, we have agreed to widen the scope of our collaboration -from energy to enterprise,Ayurveda to agriculture, infrastructure to innovation, healthcare to human resources, anddata to development. Our partnership also holds significant value for the wider region. The second India-CARICOM summit held yesterday is testament to the same.
As members of the United Nations, we both believe in reformed multilateralism. As developing countries, we understand the power of the Global South. We seek strategic autonomy and support inclusive development. We prioritize sustainable development and climate justice. And, we continue to call for dialogue and diplomacy to address global crises.
Friends,
I always call our diaspora the Rashtradoots. An Ambassador is a Rajdoot, but for me you are all Rashtradoots. They are Ambassadors of Indian culture and values. It is said that no worldly pleasure can compare to the comfort of a mother’s lap.
You, the Indo-Guyanese community, are doubly blessed. You have Guyana as your motherland and Bharat Mata as your ancestral land. Today, when India is a land of opportunities, each one of you can play a bigger role in connecting our two countries.
Friends,
Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz has been launched. I call upon you to participate. Also encourage your friends from Guyana. It will be a good opportunity to understand India, its values, culture and diversity.
Friends,
Next year, from 13 January to 26 February, Maha Kumbh will be held at Prayagraj. I invite you to attend this gathering with families and friends. You can travel to Basti or Gonda, from where many of you came. You can also visit the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. There is another invite.
It is for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that will be held in Bhubaneshwar in January. If you come, you can also take the blessings of Mahaprabhu Jagannath in Puri. Now with so many events and invitations, I hope to see many of you in India soon. Once again, thank you all for the love and affection you have shown me.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
And special thanks to my friend Ali. Thanks a lot.
