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The last eight years have been a trendsetter for India. The nation has moved from the politics of casteism, dynasty, corruption and appeasement to the politics of development, growth, unity and nationalism…
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre completes its successful eight years under the dynamic and decisive leadership of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. The last eight years have been a trendsetter for India. The nation has moved from the politics of casteism, dynasty, corruption and appeasement to the politics of development, growth, unity and nationalism.
This remarkable journey has strengthened democracy in its real sense by empowering the marginalised sections of our society — from poor and backward classes, Dalits and minorities, tribals and oppressed classes to women and youth. It has also been a journey of changing the Indian psyche — from “nothing is possible in this country” to “everything is possible if the government and the people have the will and commitment”. The commitment of 1.35 billion Indians towards the vision of PM Modi reflects on the ground. It also proves that if a leader has a policy and programme, intention and dedication, every challenge can be addressed, every problem can be solved.
This remarkable journey has strengthened democracy in its real sense by empowering the marginalised sections of our society
The nation has not just changed under the leadership of PM Modi, but a new chapter of remarkable growth and fast-paced development is also being written. Today, eight years of changing India reflects in every Indian’s eyes. In the last eight years, our poverty rate reduced from 22% to 10%, and extreme poverty fell below 1% and remained static at 0.8%. Our per capita income doubled while foreign reserves also increased two-fold. In the past 70 years, only 637,000 primary schools were constructed, but under the Modi government, 653,000 schools have been built so far. Under this government, 15 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences were sanctioned, out of which 10 have become operational and five are in advanced stages of construction. The number of doctors jumped by 1.2 million. India created the second largest road network in the world, and our solar and wind power generation capacity doubled in the past five years.
Year after year, India broke records in food grain production. In 2012-13 our food grain production was 255 million tonnes, which increased to 316.06 million tonnes in 2021-22, the highest ever in our history. Despite the global economic slowdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India managed to clock a record in merchandise exports at $418 billion in the last financial year. Under the Modi government, new benchmarks were set. As India battled the pandemic, it was PM Modi who led from the front. He gave India not one but two “Made in India” vaccines, and opened government coffers to provide free rations to over 800 million Indians for the past two years at an expenditure of ₹3.40 lakh crore.
There are several firsts associated with the last eight years. The common man got free medical insurance coverage through Ayushman Bharat Yojna, while farmers and labourers got a monthly pension. For the first time, farmers started getting the benefit of the Kisan Samman Nidhi for farming purposes, and it was our government that formed a policy for organic farming.
Then there are several path breaking schemes — Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Kisan Samman Nidhi, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Gareeb Kalyan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Yojana, Awas Yojana, Jal Jivan Mission, Digital India, Gram Vikas Yojana, Goods and Services Tax — which not only empowered citizens but also strengthened our economy and made India resilient and self-reliant. Schemes such as Atmanirbhar Bharat, Vocal for Local, Gati Shakti Yojana, PLI (production linked incentive) catapulted India to the top of the global world order.
In previous regimes, the willpower to deal with perennial problems was lacking and everything was left to fate. PM Modi’s innovative and decisive approach in dealing with problems made all the difference. His firm resolve led to the scrapping of Article 370, construction of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, abolition of instant triple talaq, passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act and surgical strikes on terror camps across the border. His unique style led to the identification of 1,800 old laws which had become redundant, and the scrapping of 1,450 of them. No previous government had thought of this. This made lives simpler for citizens and improved government efficiency.
Foreign policy is one field where India has excelled under PM Modi. From Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan to Ukraine, India showed the world how effective foreign relations help in saving the lives of citizens. India also led from the front when it came to the issues of terrorism, global warming, Global Solar Alliance, effectiveness of Quad and our strong relations with our neighbours. These eight years were also a period of India’s cultural resurgence. Yoga and Ayurveda caught the world’s attention, and India’s lost cultural and religious icons regained their glory, including the transformation of our holiest places such as Kashi Vishwanath Dham and Kedarnath Dham.
Under PM Modi, the BJP broke records and reached new heights. Today, the BJP is the world’s biggest political organisation with 180 million members. In 2014, the BJP and its allies had governments in seven states, today we have our governments in 18. For the first time, the BJP crossed the 100-mark in the Rajya Sabha and broke electoral records in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Goa, Manipur and Tripura.
The secret behind the BJP’s success under PM Modi is the trust and blessings of Indians that our party won. People today know that there is a government at the Centre that works for their welfare and is committed to Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.
Under PM Modi, the BJP is committed to transform India, make India a country where all are one, all are happy and prosperous. It is time again to take a pledge to work hard and commit ourselves to make India a happy and prosperous nation.
(Writer is the National President of BJP)