To my brothers and sisters of Maharashtra!
Jai Shri Krishna...
Tomorrow is Shri Krishna Janmashtami, and I extend my wishes to you today.
The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan ji, Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde ji, my colleague in the Union Cabinet, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji, my fellow minister from this land, Prataprao Jadhav, Minister in the Union Government Shri Chandrashekhar ji, and the daughter of this land, Raksha Khadse ji, Deputy Chief Ministers Shri Ajit Pawar ji and Devendra Fadnavis ji, ministers of the Maharashtra government, MPs and MLAs, and the vast number of mothers and sisters who have come here to bless us. As far as my eyes can see, it feels like an ocean of mothers has gathered here. This sight itself is very comforting.
Before I begin, I want to express my anguish regarding the bus accident in Nepal. We lost many of our friends from Maharashtra, particularly from Jalgaon, in this accident. I express my condolences to all the affected families. As soon as the accident occurred, the Government of Bharat immediately contacted the Government of Nepal. We asked our minister Raksha Tai Khadse to go to Nepal immediately. We have brought back the bodies of those who lost their lives in a special aircraft of the Air Force. Those who were injured are being treated well. I wish them a speedy recovery. I assure all the victims that they will receive full support from both the central and state governments.
Friends,
Today, this grand convention of 'Lakhpati Didis' is taking place. A large number of my ‘beloved sisters’ are present here. More than 6,000 crore rupees have been released for lakhs of ‘Sakhi Mandals’ (women self-help groups) across the country from here. Our sisters from Maharashtra who are associated with countless savings groups have also received crores of rupees in aid. This money will help make lakhs of sisters 'Lakhpati Didis.' I extend my best wishes to all mothers and sisters!
Friends,
I see the proud culture and values of Maharashtra in all of you. These values of Maharashtra have spread not only across Bharat but also around the world. I returned from a foreign trip just yesterday. I went to Poland in Europe. There, too, I saw the influence of Maharashtra. I witnessed the culture and values of Maharashtra. The people of Poland greatly respect the people of Maharashtra. You cannot imagine this by sitting here. There is a Kolhapur Memorial in the capital there. The people of Poland built this memorial to honour the service and hospitality of the people of Kolhapur.
Some of you might know that the royal family of Kolhapur gave refuge to thousands of mothers and children from Poland during World War II. In line with the values of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the royal family and ordinary people served the refugees. When I heard praise for the service and love for humanity for the people of Maharashtra, my head swelled with pride. We must continue to develop Maharashtra and elevate its name globally.
Friends,
The values of Maharashtra have been created by the brave and determined mothers here. The maternal power of this land has inspired the entire nation. Our Jalgaon is the pilgrimage site of the Warkari tradition. This is the land of the great Saint Muktai. Her meditation and penance continue to inspire today's generation. The poems of Bahinabai still force society to think beyond rigid norms. The contribution of maternal power has been unparalleled whether it is any corner of Maharashtra or any period in history. Who gave direction to the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj? It was Mata Jijau who did this.
When society did not give importance to the education and work of daughters, Savitribai Phule stepped forward. That is, Bharat's maternal power has always made a significant contribution to shaping the future of society and the nation. And today, as our country strives to become developed, our maternal power is once again coming forward. I see the influence of Rajmata Jijau and Savitribai Phule in all the sisters of Maharashtra.
Friends,
When I came to you during the Lok Sabha election campaign, I said that we need to make 3 crore sisters 'Lakhpati Didis.' That is, 3 crore sisters who work in self-help groups and who will earn more than one lakh rupees a year. Over the past 10 years, one crore 'Lakhpati Didis' have been created, and in the last two months only, 11 lakh more ‘Lakhpati Didis’ have joined them. Among them, one lakh new 'Lakhpati Didis' have emerged from Maharashtra. The Mahayuti government here has worked very hard for this achievement. The entire team of Eknath ji, Devendra ji, and Ajit Dada is dedicated to empowering mothers and sisters. There are numerous schemes and new initiatives being implemented in Maharashtra for mothers, sisters, youth, and farmers.
Friends,
The campaign to make 'Lakhpati Didis' is not just about increasing the income of sisters and daughters. It is a great campaign to empower entire families and future generations. It is transforming the entire economy of villages. Every sister and daughter present here knows well that when she starts earning, her rights increase, and her respect within the family grows. When a sister's income increases, the family has more money to spend. In other words, when even one sister becomes a 'Lakhpati Didi,' it changes the fate of the entire family.
I was listening to the experiences of sisters from different parts of the country before coming here. The confidence in all the Lakhpati Didis was remarkable. I refer to them as Lakhpati Didis, but some were earning two lakh rupees, some three lakh rupees, and some even eight lakh rupees. They have achieved this success in just the past few months.
Friends,
Today, you hear everywhere that Bharat is on its way to becoming the third-largest economic power in the world. Our sisters and daughters have a significant role in this achievement. However, this wasn't the situation a few years ago. Sisters are the guarantee of happiness in every home and every family. But no one was there to guarantee that they would receive any help. Millions of sisters across the country had no property in their names. If they needed a loan from a bank, they couldn't get one. In such a situation, even if they wanted to start a small business, they couldn't do so. That's why your brother, your son, made a resolution. I decided that no matter what, I would alleviate the difficulties of the mothers, sisters, and daughters of my country. That's why the Modi government made one decision after another in favour of women. I challenge you to compare the seven decades of previous governments on one side with the ten years of the Modi government on the other. The amount of work the Modi government has done for the country's sisters and daughters is unmatched by any other government since independence.
Friends,
It is our government that decided that the houses built by the government for the poor should be registered in the names of women. Of the 4 crore houses built so far, the majority are in the names of women. We are about to build 3 crore more houses, and most of these will also be in the names of our mothers and sisters. The second major change we've made is in the banking system. First, we opened Jan Dhan accounts, and the majority of these accounts were opened in the names of sisters. Then we launched the Mudra Yojana, instructing banks to provide loans without collateral. And if collateral was needed, Modi was there. Around 70% of the beneficiaries of this scheme are mothers and sisters. Some people in the country said that loans should not be given to women because they would default and there was a risk involved. But I thought differently. I had complete trust in you, in our maternal power, in your honesty, and in your abilities. Our mothers and sisters worked hard and repaid the loans with honesty.
Now, we have raised the limit for Mudra loans to 20 lakh rupees. We also launched the PM SVANidhi scheme for street vendors, offering loans without collateral. This scheme has also greatly benefited our sisters and daughters. Many of our sisters are part of the Vishwakarma community, which is involved in handicrafts, and our government has provided them with guarantees.
Friends,
When I used to talk about self-help groups, or Sakhi Mandals, there were very few people who could see their importance. But today, these groups are becoming a significant force in Bharat's economy. The changes brought about by Sakhi Mandals in villages and remote tribal areas are evident. Over the past ten years, 10 crore sisters have joined this movement, and this figure is huge. And we have connected them with banks. We have made it easier for them to get loans from banks at low-interest rates.
Let me give you a statistic that might surprise you and perhaps even make you angry about how our country functioned before. Until 2014, less than 25,000 crore rupees in bank loans were given to Sakhi Mandals. Keep in mind, I'm talking about women's self-help groups—only 25,000 crores. In the last ten years, around 9 lakh crore rupees have been provided. Compare that—25,000 crores versus 9 lakh crores. Moreover, the direct financial assistance provided by the government has increased by nearly 30 times. As a result, our sisters in villages are increasing their income and strengthening the country. And I say again, this is just the trailer. We are further expanding the role of our sisters and daughters. Today, more than 1.25 lakh banking correspondents, or Bank Sakhis, are providing banking services in villages. Some sisters were telling me they handle transactions worth up to one crore rupees.
We are now training women to become drone pilots. We are giving drones worth lakhs of rupees to women's groups so they can assist farmers in modern farming practices. We are also training 2 lakh Pashu Sakhis (women involved in animal husbandry) to help livestock owners. We are empowering women to lead modern and natural farming. For this, we have launched the Krishi Sakhi (Agriculture Friend) program. We aim to create lakhs of Krishi Sakhis in villages across the country in the coming years. These initiatives will provide employment to daughters, boost their confidence, and foster a new mindset in society regarding the potential of daughters.
Friends,
The country presented the Budget just last month. The Budget has allocated 3 lakh crore rupees for schemes related to mothers, sisters, and daughters. To ensure more daughters can work, special facilities have been announced for offices and factories. The government is working to provide working women with hostels and creches for their children. Our government is opening up every sector for daughters, even those where they once faced restrictions. Today, women officers are being appointed in all three armed forces, and women are being deployed as fighter pilots. Daughters are gaining admission to Sainik Schools and military academies. The number of daughters in our police forces and paramilitary units has significantly increased. From agriculture and dairy sectors in villages to the start-up revolution, a large number of daughters are managing businesses today. We have enacted the Nari Shakti Vandan Act to increase the participation of daughters in politics.
Friends,
Along with empowering mothers, sisters, and daughters, their safety is also a national priority. I have repeatedly raised this issue from the Red Fort. I understand the pain and anger of our sisters and daughters, no matter which state they are in. Once again, I urge every political party and state government that crimes against women are unforgivable sins. The guilty, no matter who they are, should not escape justice. Those who assist them in any form should also not escape justice. Whether it is a hospital, school, office, or police station—there must be accountability at every level. The message from top to bottom should be crystal clear that this sin is unforgivable. Governments will come and go, but protecting lives and safeguarding women's dignity is a significant responsibility for us as a society and as a government.
Friends,
Our government is continually strengthening laws to ensure the harshest punishments for those who commit atrocities against women. With such a large number of sisters and daughters present here today, I especially want to inform you of this. Previously, there were complaints that FIRs were not filed on time, hearings were delayed, and cases dragged on for too long. We have addressed many such obstacles in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). An entire chapter has been dedicated to the crimes against women and children in it. If a victimized woman is unable to go to the police station, she can file an e-FIR from home. We have ensured that there will be no delays or tampering at the police station level with an e-FIR. This will help in the speedy investigation and severe punishment of the guilty.
Friends,
The new laws have provisions for the death penalty and life imprisonment for sexual crimes against minors. There have been many cases where daughters have been deceived in the name of marriage. Previously, there was no clear law regarding this. Now, false promises and deceit in the name of marriage have been clearly defined in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. I assure you that the central government stands with state governments in every way to prevent atrocities against women. We must not rest until we have eradicated this sinful mindset from Indian society.
Therefore, friends,
Today, Bharat is moving forward on the path to becoming a developed nation, and Maharashtra plays a significant role in this. Maharashtra is a shining star of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India). Maharashtra is becoming a centre of attraction for investors worldwide. The future of Maharashtra lies in more and more investment and new job opportunities.
And the Mahayuti government guarantees investment and jobs. Maharashtra needs a stable Mahayuti government for many, many years to come. Maharashtra needs a government that can promote industries here. Maharashtra needs a government that can focus on the education, skills, and employment of the youth. I am confident that the mothers and sisters here will come forward and support me for the stability and prosperity of Maharashtra.
I have complete trust in you, sisters. Once again, while assuring full support from the Bharat government for the work of the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, I extend my best wishes to all of you.
Say with me -
Bharat Mata Ki -- Jai
Raise both hands, clench your fists, and shout with all your might -
Bharat Mata Ki -- Jai
Bharat Mata Ki -- Jai
Bharat Mata Ki -- Jai
Bharat Mata Ki -- Jai
Bharat Mata Ki -- Jai
Thank you very much
