Safety and security of the farming community and the soldiers of India were the key aspects of Shri Narendra Modi’s address at the ‘Jana Chetna Rally’ at Wardha in Maharashtra, on the afternoon of 20th March, 2014.
Stating that Congress promises were empty election slogans only to mislead the people, Shri Modi spoke of how special packages were announced during Elections, but unfortunately the beneficiaries never received the benefits. “It has become a fashion to declare a package after every crisis. Time to pack those who keep giving these packages that don't reach you,” affirmed Shri Modi.
Speaking on the need for a visionary change, Shri Modi called for the need to create systems that wouldn’t collapse in the long run, and stated one such approach whereby the agricultural produce could be transported within short time through goods trains.
Recollecting former Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri’s words of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, Shri Modi spoke of how neither the Jawan nor the Kisan are safe under the UPA. He recalled that the clarion call by Shastri ji had filled the farmers with enthusiasm to engage in effective production of grains, but under the misgovernance of the Congress and its allies, the agriculture sector, as also the Nation, had been ruined. Speaking about the beheading of soldiers under the Congress rule, Shri Modi affirmed that both, the farmer and the soldier were unsafe in today’s scenario. He said, “Are the jawan and kisan safe under the Congress rule? Can anyone say they are safe? And the farmers, can any farmer trust the Government here or the Agriculture Minister? Our soldiers are beheaded, jawans are killed…if an Army Jawan is unsafe, then what are we talking about.”
Expressing concern over the sorry-state-of-affairs in the agriculture sector, Shri Modi emphasized on how the Central government had levied a cotton export ban when, in fact, the cotton industry was flourishing. “Farmers are killed here in this region. We have great potential for agriculture but the farmer is dying. The Agriculture Minister should answer- when cotton harvest was good, global demand rose and farmers were getting good prices, why was the cotton export ban placed? For whose help was it? The Government has a problem if the farmer gets money, but does not mind giving subsidy for mutton export,” said Shri Modi.
Expressing disdain at the Centre’s lack of sympathy for the farming community, Shri Modi said, “Neither do they understand the nation nor do they know the path to take India ahead. They only want to win polls. Even if something happens to the farmer, the Centre is not bothered. If our farmer is ruined then how will we feed our stomachs.”
Emphasizing on the need to adopt the 5F formula – from farm to fibre, fibre to fabric, fabric to fashion and fashion to foreign – by the cotton producers, Shri Modi assured the farming community of a special focus for them when the BJP comes to power. “The first guarantee of a government must be that a farmer cannot be allowed to die. For a variety of reasons the farmer has to take debt and falls under a debt trap. I assure you that the farmers won’t have to go to Shahukars to seeks loans at exorbitant interest. BJP is committed to transform the agriculture sector. We want to increase farmer income and the purchasing power of villages,” assured Shri Modi, while further adding the need to make adequate water supply and latest technology available to the farmers for quality production.
Attacking the Congress for its inability to tackle larger concerns of national interest, Shri Modi spoke of how they were only bothered on finding a solution to stop Shri Narendra Modi. He urged the people to vote for the BJP in the 2014 elections and show their support for a stable and strong government. “Be it Congress or NCP, don't send any of them to Delhi. They ruined things here and will make matters worse at the Centre. Make the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance victorious so that there can be a strong and stable government in Delhi,” said Shri Modi.
Former BJP President Shri Nitin Gadkari spoke of how the Congress and NCP had betrayed the farmers and set a record in corruption, even as he highlighted the sorry-state-of-affairs under Union Agriculture Minister Shri Sharad Pawar. Affirming that the BJP-led government would bring about the much-needed change, Shri Gadkari spoke of how Shri Modi had dedicated his life for the Nation.
President of Maharashtra state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Shri Vinod Tawde and Raje Ambrishrao were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
