Bharat Mata ki Jay..!

The National President of Bharatiya Janata Party, respected Shri Rajnath Singh Ji, the man who turned this land of Chhattisgarh as a strong and powerful land in the world, my friend and Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Shri Raman Singh Ji, President of Bharatiya Janata Party, Chhattisgarh, Shri Ram Sewak Paikra Ji, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, respected Shri Dharamlal Ji, General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party and member of Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda Ji, all the Ministers of Chhattisgarh, MPs, MLAs present on the dias, and all my brothers and sisters who have assembled here in huge numbers..!

Many a times I have visited Surguja, I have got opportunity of attending small meetings to addressing large public rallies in Ambikapur also, but today I will have to accept that I have not seen such a huge public gathering on the grounds of Surguja, have not seen a scene as massive as this before and this scene makes me feel that since yesterday, we used to say SurGuja, but from now onwards we will say ‘Sar Uncha’ (high head), Surguja has held high the head of Chhattisgarh..! I heartily congratulate the brothers and sisters of Chhattisgarh..!

It is said in our scriptures that if you bow to a person who has come from pilgrimage, then you get half his virtue. I am indeed very fortunate to bow to Dr. Raman Singh Ji who has reached Surguja by a journey of 6000 kms., touching feet of the society at large. I have not come here to take the virtue of this journey away, I respectfully dedicate the virtue of this pilgrimage to the land of Chhattisgarh..!

Friends, whenever I think of Chhattisgarh, I feel an urge to salute that great decision of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji. I have also worked in the confederate Madhya Pradesh, and when Chhattisgarh was created, in those days I used to work amongst you for organization. To understand what is the work culture, decision making process and governance practices of Bhartiya Janata Party, look at the formation of Chhattisgarh, of Uttarakhand, of Jharkhand, and on the other hand Congress has set the entire Andhra Pradesh on fire with the formation of Telangana..! How did we create these states..! When Chhattisgarh was formed, Madhya Pradesh was happy and so was Chhattisgarh, when Uttarakhand was constituted, both Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were happy, when Jharkhand was formulated both Bihar and Jharkhand were cheering, but now Telangana is formed and curfew needed to be imposed..! This is an example of Congress’s style of working..!

Decision making process can be developed by taking all in confidence and eliminating their doubts, but this culture is not to be expected from an egoist Congress. Congress has its arrogance on the ninth cloud. They are not ready to accept the citizens of this nation as citizens. They have always treated the common man just as a vote bank. And the result is that whatever they do, it turns into junk, the problems become ghastly, crisis deepens more and the pain of the people increases manifold, this has been a tradition of Congress and what did Delhi Government do..?

Vikas Yatra, Chhattisgarh

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been associated with Chhattisgarh since its inception and when Dr. Raman Singh Ji took charge as a Chief Minister, he had two options. One was to crib that we are in Madhya Pradesh, we have tribal population, there is no electricity, water, roads, what will we do, beg to Delhi..! That was one way..! Another way was that let Chhattisgarh be as it is, but we will try our best, will unify the potential of Chhattisgarh, will connect the youth of Chhattisgarh, and will connect the tribals of Chattisgrah to the path of development..! And Raman Singh Ji did not chose the path of bowing down to the Delhi regime, I compliment him for that. He decided that whether Delhi does something or not, whether it supports or not, let Delhi create hurdles for us, but we relying on the people of Chhattisgarh, on the resources of Chhattisgarh, will form a grand state in India, and he chose this path..! This was the tough path, begging to Delhi would have been easier. And very often Chief Ministers have this habit that they can not do any good for the state, they just go to Delhi and howl..! Raman Singh Ji did not chose to cry out to Delhi, he kept fighting and grappling with Delhi, but he never bowed down to them. This is the strength of Raman Suingh Ji and because of it today Chhattisgarh is standing tall..!

Friends, there is a Singh in the center, and there is a Singh in Chattisgrah. In Delhi, it is about to be 10 years for Dr. Manmohan Singh and in Chhattisgarh also it is almost 10 years for Dr. Raman Singh Ji. He is also a doctor and Dr. Raman Singh is also a doctor. Raman Singh Ji is a doctor of human body and Manmohan Singh Ji is a doctor of money. He has done his Ph.D. in finance, while Dr. Raman Singh Ji is a doctor who through his knowledge gave new life to Chhattisgarh, made life of Chhattisgarh people both strong and grand..! And Singh of Delhi, who is a doctor of rupee, in his reign, rupee is on the deathbed fighting hard..! These days the power of social media is very high. Facebook, Twitter, WatsApp and God knows what all else is trending these days..! Some sent me a very interesting mail. He sent me a picture of Mahatma Gandhi in which Gandhi Ji is seeing through a Microscope. We all have seen this picture in our childhood; it is there in many textbooks. But these youngsters on social media they have very witty brain. In the mail, it was written that Gandhi Ji is trying to locate rupee and his own photo in it through the Microscope. Friends, where have we reached..!

Friends, in life of a nation good and bad days come, even crises strike, but it is the acid test for the leadership of the nation to assure the people, let their trust not break in the system, and the people have faith in your efforts towards handling the crisis..! Friends, first time in the history India, it has seen a Government for last ten years, whose every action is a step to massage their ego. The Government whose functioning is to not answer the citizens, to consider themselves above the system of accountability, and their entire tenure has been such. The common man of the country is being truckled under poverty, poor man is not able to have two meals a day, children are crying of hunger, but the Government of Delhi is busy defining the poor. The Planning Commission which is headed by the Prime Minister, it states that in a city, Rs. 32 are sufficient for a person to survive and in villages, Rs. 27 will suffice the needs of a poor man..!

Friends, in today's era, getting tea twice a day in Rs. 32 is difficult, but the definition of the Delhi Government is such that they make such announcements..! One of their leaders, ministers, spokes person, announcing it loud that one can avail food of their own choice in just Rs. 5..! I have no grudges with the people, I am not disappointed by them, I am hurt that there are such people in Delhi, who do not even know how much money is needed for a poor man’s food, there are such people who are not aware of how the poor man is surviving..! My tribals, my poor, my deprived, my underprivileged..! They even do not know that how much pains a mother take to feed her kids..! Those who do not understand your pains, your sufferings, those who can not understand your pains, how will they treat it, Friends..? And this is why I say that the entire Delhi Government is insensitive, inhuman and it is difficult to expect well being of poor from them..!

I am amazed to see that a person depending on whom Congress wants to sail across, it is protecting him from sunstroke, rains and arrow of somebody’s words, he has been fortified from all the directions, but even after it sometimes the voices come out, and what we hear makes us feel the urge to bang our heads on the walls..! Friends, the biggest joke that Congress made of poverty was that the hopeful leader on whose support Congress wants to go ahead, he says that poverty is a state of mind; this is a result of your mental condition, else there is nothing like poverty..! I am surprised to hear this statement..! His grandmother, who was sloganeering for eliminating poverty, she must be really hurt that her third generation says that poverty is just a state of mind, there is nothing like poverty..! Friends, this is an act of sprinkling acid on the wounds of poor people. Instead of applying salve on their wounds, they have made the wounds hurt more. And even after saying this, he has no regrets of his sentences, of the hurt, of the pain caused to the people, and the basic reason for this is that Congress party is at the ninth cloud of ego. And Friends, when there are efforts to crush the people, its dreams, its hopes and aspirations, then this people beats their ego with its democratic power and I have faith that in the upcoming assembly elections, the people of Chhattisgarh will deroute this tradition of Congress forever..!

Friends, reaching the new heights of development..! I came here in 2008, when the policy of distributing rice to the poor started. I am grateful to Dr. Raman Singh Ji that while inaugurating that pious movement of rice distribution, he gave me an opportunity to be a part of it. He became famous as Chawal wale baba, not because some newspaper wrote an editorial on it, but because he worked for the betterment of the poor..!

Friends, the Supreme Court of India has very often taken strict steps towards the centrel Government. Friends, it is the same Supreme Court which appreciated the system of ration distribution by Dr. Raman Singh Ji and advised the Indian Govt. to learn something from Chhattisgarh, to implement the scheme of Chhattisgarh, this is what the Supreme Court of India said..! Friends, this is a matter of pride and honour for Chhattisgarh, Dr. Raman Singh Ji could realize such great ideas and he has been a man to give priority to development..!

Friends, the Governments of Bharatiya Janata Party have a character, we have a work culture, we have a working style, and we do not believe in political untouchability. We are the people who work with the mantra 'Sarv samaaj ko liye saath me, aage hai badhte jana…' (go ahead with taking the entire society together). And whichever party is in power, whichever state it is but if there has been something positive then our Governments analyze it and we take the best practices and try to adapt them..! When we heard about the PDS system of Chhattisgarh, then we called officers from Chhattisgarh to Gujarat and said that you have done such good work, teach us something. And officers of Chhattisgarh, they came to us, and stayed with us for 2 days, they taught all our officers and I personally analyzed this system for two hours and implemented it In Gujarat. Friends, we have this culture that If anything good happens anywhere in India, we try to learn It and try to improve it, because we have a dream that India should lead the world, our country is free from poverty, women in our life live with respect and freedom. It is our dream that our youngsters get employment. God has given them arms and brains, we need to give them the skills, talent and opportunities. We have emphasized on this and the result is that wherever there are BJP Governments, the people there are having their hopes and aspirations fulfilled..!

Every moment you hear of growth & development, be it in Madhya Pradesh where our Shivraj ji is serving or be it in Chhattisgarh where our Raman Singh ji is serving; sometimes we got the opportunity in Himachal, sometimes in Rajasthan. You go and see in Goa, in Karnataka, at any place where Bharatiya Janata Party has got the opportunity to serve the people; we have never compromised in serving people. We have not let Government be the weapon of political game, we have used the Government and Administration as an energetic source for growth & development. This has been our strength to work and we want to move ahead with this working style..!

Friends, elections are nearing and I want to say one thing to the youth present here. You all might want that Raman Singh ji should win the election third time in a row but look around yourself, there must be many youngsters in the age group of 18-20 years who have not registered themselves in the voter list yet. This is our responsibility that no youngster from our Chhattisgarh should remain deprived of voting right. There should be one mass movement, one awareness campaign and every voter should feel proud that India's Constitution has given me the right to elect the Government. We should develop such an atmosphere that the day we get Voting Rights, should be a prestigious incidence in our lives and I want that the youth of Chhattisgarh should do everything possible in this regard..!

Ladies and Gentlemen, since the period of Smt. Indira Gandhi, a Twenty Point Program has been implemented in India for the welfare of poor. All the Governments since then implemented the program. Atal ji continued it, Morarji continued it and it has been evaluated quarterly. Friends, records are the witness, in every evaluation of implementation of this 'twenty point program' for the welfare of poor, either BJP Government or NDA Government has scored among top 5 ranks. Friends, any Congress Government has never scored among top 5 ranks in implementing any of the programs for the welfare of poor. And when I once mentioned this to the Prime Minister with pride, Congress people were shocked but they did nothing to improve the performance of their Government, instead what they did was, they stopped the evaluation process altogether. If there will be evaluation, marks will be given and then they will be disgraced. Friends, if this is the kind of thought process then there can never be competition for growth & development..!

Friends, today the country needs to focus on which state is leading in growth and which state is contributing the most in the development journey. And I take the pride in saying that in India, if the states that have shown maximum growth in last one decade are those governed by Bharatiya Janata Party and they have touched new heights of development. On the other hand there is Delhi Government, destruction that did not happen in past 60 years has happened in last 10 years. These days the Parliament was discussing that the 'Coal' files are missing. Entire parliament was discussing about it. Supreme Court was questioning that where the files have vanished. Friends, Parliament is discussing that where the missing ‘Coal’ files are but 125 crore citizens of India are wondering where the Government of India is lost..? Entire Government is missing, not just a file, entire Government is missing..! Money from the locker is lost, integrity is lost..! Friends, India has never seen this situation..! And thus Friends, I call upon this pious land of Mahamaya, It is need of the hour that each and every citizen, every youngster takes responsibility of saving the nation, and take an oath to demolish the Government that is ruining our nation and move ahead..!

Realizing the good governance is need of the hour. And Friends, when I talk of Government, my thoughts are very clear. I am of this clear opinion that Government has just one religion, and that is ‘Nation First’..! Government has just one scripture, ‘The Constitution of India’..! It has only one devotion, ‘Devotion to the Country’..! Government has just one duty, ‘Good of the 125 crore Citizens..! It has just one work style and that is, ‘All Together, Development for All’..! And with this mantra, let's move ahead to make India grand and divine, let's take Chhattisgarh ahead third time in the leadership of Shri Raman Singh Ji..!

Friends, coming five years are crucial for the life of Chhattisgarh. Now Chhattisgarh is 13 years old. And we have seen that in our families that a kid of 13 years is not much grown up. Old clothes are used for 2 years; there is no change in his voice and lifestyle. But from 13 years to 18 years the kids grow so rapidly that we need to arrange new outfits every six month, there is a sudden growth, the teenage is at its peak..! Friends, the coming 5 years are more crucial than last 10 years. In these 5 years, Chhattisgarh needs the most caretaking. As when the kids are in the age of 13 to 18, the parents become excessively careful, the same way in this phase of 13 to 18 years, Chhattisgarh needs maximum attention. This is going to such a phase of development that needs an able man to take care of it. And from my experience of 10 years I can say that these 5 years from 13 to 18 years are the time for Chhattisgarh to evolve with new energy, the time to explore, the time to reach newer heights, and at this time there should be no mistake..! Trust Dr. Raman Singh once again and these 5 years of youth will give new strength to Chhattisgarh..! And once before being of 18 years if Chhattisgarh grows strong and powerful, then next 60-70 years will see no illness, no problems..! Dr. Raman Singh will lay down the foundation for next five-six decades of healthy future, I have full belief in that and thus I appeal you all to give one more chance to BJP, give one more chance to Dr. Raman Singh, let the teenage of Chhattisgarh flourish in Dr. Raman Singh's reign. With this hope, my best wishes to you all..!

Bharat Mata ki Jay..! Bharat Mata ki Jay..! Bharat Mata ki Jay..!

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Text of PM Modi's address to the Indian Community in Guyana
November 22, 2024
The Indian diaspora in Guyana has made an impact across many sectors and contributed to Guyana’s development: PM
You can take an Indian out of India, but you cannot take India out of an Indian: PM
Three things, in particular, connect India and Guyana deeply,Culture, cuisine and cricket: PM
India's journey over the past decade has been one of scale, speed and sustainability: PM
India’s growth has not only been inspirational but also inclusive: PM
I always call our diaspora the Rashtradoots,They are Ambassadors of Indian culture and values: PM

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.