In his fifth and the last Independence Day Speech before the 2019 general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort in New Delhi on Wednesday, 15 August.
From women empowerment to health and insurance, PM Modi announced a number of initiatives and lauded the implementation of GST, higher MSP and other reforms, while setting the agenda for 2019.
Here are the key takeaways of his speech:
Gaganyaan to Take Indian Astronaut to Space by 2022
An Indian astronaut, be it a man or a woman, will go on a space odyssey by 2022 on board 'Gaganyaan', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address.
Indian Economy a Sleeping Elephant that Now Runs
Lauding the economic reforms, Modi said India will be the engine of growth for the world economy for the next three decades as the "sleeping elephant" has started to run on the back of structural reforms like GST.
He listed the reforms announced in the last four years of his government that changed India from being a "fragile and risky" economy to a fast-paced one.
The government's motto, he said, is reform, perform and transform. He also said that red tapism has been replaced with 'red carpet', propelling India’s rank on the ease of doing business index.
Healthcare Initiatives to Benefit 50 Crore Indians
Emphasizing on the need for good healthcare in the country, PM Modi announced that his government will launch an ambitious healthcare scheme on 25 September this year, which will benefit 50 crore citizens of the country.
He said the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan (Ayushman Bharat) will be launched on 25 September on the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.
"The healthcare initiatives of the government will have a positive impact on 50 crore Indians," he said.
The ambitious Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually, benefitting more than 10 crore poor families.
The scheme aims to target poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational category of urban workers' families, 8.03 crore in rural and 2.33 crore in urban areas, as per the latest Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) data, and will cover around 50 crore people.
Parliament Session Ensured Social Justice
With the BJP working to strengthen its appeal among Dalits and backward classes, Modi highlighted his government's efforts to protect their interests in the Parliament's Monsoon Session, which he said was dedicated to social justice.
Modi said a demand to confer constitutional status on the Other Backward Classes was being made for a long time but this was fulfilled by his government during the session.
Parliament passed a constitutional amendment bill to this effect in the Monsoon Session. It also passed a legislation to meet the demand of Dalit groups to overturn a Supreme Court verdict which, they said, had diluted a law on atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Instill Fear in the Minds of Rapists
Stating that the rule of law is supreme for his government, Modi called for giving wide publicity to the cases in which rapists were awarded the death sentence, saying it would instill fear in people with "demonic mindsets".
"The country, our society needs to be rid off this demonic mindset. The rule of law is supreme for us and there can be no compromise with this," he said.
Modi said the society needs to feel a million times more pain that what a rape survivor endures.
He spoke about fast-track trial of rape cases in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the convicts were sentenced to death within days and said such cases need to be publicised widely to deter people from committing such crimes.
It Would Have Taken Decades to Progress if We Continued at the Same Pace as 2013
Modi drew a comparison between the situation in 2013 and how things stand today and said if the pace of the UPA government's last year was maintained, it would have taken decades, centuries and generations to build as many toilets, distribute as many LPG connections among the poor and lay down as much optical fibre as his government has done.
The country is brimming with self-confidence today and surging ahead with a new sense of commitment, he said.
"India is moving forward at a new pace," he said.
While decisions have been held back in the past due to political and other compulsions, bold decisions like the GST are being taken now, he said.
Demand for Higher MSP Pending for Years
Lauding the government’s efforts in implementing the Minimum Support Price (MSP), PM Modi said that the decision was pending for years and was implemented only when his government came to power.
“The demand for higher MSP was pending for years. From farmers to political parties to agriculture experts, everybody was asking about it but nothing happened. With the blessings of the farmers, the decision on MSP was taken by our government,” he said.
We are Trying to End Triple Talaq
Slaming the Opposition for stalling the Triple Talaq bill in the Parliament, Modi said he will ensure justice for Muslim women.
(With inputs from PTI)
Need to Embrace People of Kashmir
Addressing the Kashmir issue, PM Modi said that the situation in the state can be resolved only by embracing its people, not with bullets or abuses. He promised that the long-delayed local body elections in the state will be held soon.
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