NEW DELHI: Inaugurating the year-long 'Chauri Chaura' centenary celebrations through video conference, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi stressed achieving 'Atmanirbharta' through a national movement. Drawing a parallel, he said like the Independence movement, which witnessed a united stand by the Indians, the same sense of cooperation is required to make India global leader. He added that the present Union Budget has been drafted to facilitate this leap forward.
Talking about the freedom fighters' struggle against the British colonial power to gain Independence, the Prime Minister said on Thursday that "it is their collective strength that that broke the shackles of slavery" and the same "will also make India the world's greatest power". "This power of collectivity is the basis of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign. During the period of Corona, India sent essential medicines to help the citizens of more than 150 countries. India is giving vaccines to the several countries keeping in mind to save human lives. All this will definitely make our freedom fighters proud of India for whose Independence they sacrificed their lives."
Delving on the Covid-19, Modi said that the recent Budget will give a new push to the efforts to meet the challenges, thrown by the pandemic. "The Budget belied the apprehensions of many experts that there will be a burden of new taxes on the common citizens. Contrary to this, the Government decided to spend more for the country's rapid growth. This expenditure will be for infrastructure like roads, widening existing roadways, bridges, railway lines, new trains and buses and connecting our villages with markets, mandis and cities. It also will entail spending on better education and new opportunities."
He clarified such expenditure will generate employment and new income sources, which will put India back on rails.
Taking a dig at past dispensations, the Prime Minister remarked that "the Budget was turned into the bahi-khata (ledger) of the vote-bank calculations. Now the nation has turned a new leaf and has changed the approach".
Making a specific mention about the large outlay for healthcare (Rs 2,23,846crore as against this year's Rs 94,452 crore, a 137 per cent increase), Modi said, "advanced testing and check-up facilities are being developed district level itself".
Without directly touching upon the ongoing farmers' protest, Modi termed farmers as the basis of national progress. Praising them he observed, "despite difficulties of the pandemic, they have achieved record production. The Budget has taken many steps for their empowerment. One thousand mandis are being linked to e-NAM to ease the selling of the crops by the farmers". He went on to add that the Rural Infrastructure Fund enhanced to 40,000 crore will make farmers self-reliant. "The Swamitva Scheme providing ownership documents of land and residential property to the people of the villages will lead to better price of the property and help the families with the bank credit also and make the land safe from the encroachers."
Describing the historic 'ChauriChaura' incident which led to hanging of 19 freedom fighters, and imprisonment of hundreds, Modi said that "the incident which happened 100 years ago was not just an arson incident. Under what circumstances arson happened, what were the reasons are equally important". Lamenting at the lack of discussion about these martyrs he said the nation must use this occasion to remember not just them but also thousand others who remain unsung.
A postal stamp dedicated to the ChauriChaura was also released at the event, which was attended by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (IANS)
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