AMN / NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reassured people of Kerala and other places affected by floods that the entire country stands with them at this moment of calamity and tragedy.
Sharing his thoughts in the 47th edition of Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio today, Mr Modi said he firmly believes that the sheer grit and courage of the people of Kerala will see the state rise again. He said everyone is trying to ensure speedy mitigation of the sufferings of the people in the state.
Commending the work of the armed forces in rescue and relief operations, the Prime Minister said, they have left no stone unturned to save people in the floods. He said, Air Force, Navy, Army, BSF, CISF, RAF and every agency played an exemplary role in the operations. He also mentioned the NDRF daredevils and said their service stands out as a shining example.
Mr Modi said that disaster management has assumed immense significance due to natural calamities. He stressed that new forms of structural engineering, eco-friendly constructions, and zero waste should be the priority and it needs to be pondered upon while observing Engineers Day next month.
The Prime Minister expressed happiness that the recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament was very productive. He pointed out that productivity of Lok Sabha was 118 percent and that of Rajya Sabha was 74 percent. He said that all members rose above party interests to make the session productive.
21 Bills were passed in Lok Sabha and fourteen in Rajya Sabha. He added that this session will be remembered as a session for social justice and youth welfare. He further said that a number of important bills beneficial to the youth and the backward classes were passed during the Monsoon session.
Mr Modi stated that the country fulfilled its resolve this time to make an OBC Commission and also granted it Constitutional powers. He said an amendment bill to secure the rights of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes was also passed which will give more security to the interests of these communities. He stressed that this will also forbid criminals from indulging in atrocities and will instil confidence among the dalit communities.
The Prime Minister said no civil society can tolerate any kind of injustice towards women. He said Parliament has made provision of strictest punishment by passing the Criminal Act Amendment Bill. Those guilty of rape will get a minimum sentence of ten years and those found guilty of raping girls below the age of 12 years will be awarded death sentence. He also mentioned the Triple Talaq Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister assured Muslim women that the entire country stands by them to provide social justice.
Remembering late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Modi said the former Prime Minister will always be revered as the best member of Parliament, sensitive writer, best orator and most popular Prime Minister. He hailed Atalji for giving India a political culture and said that his efforts to bring about changes in country’s political culture, to mould it into an organized framework has proved very beneficial for India.
He said India will remain ever grateful to him for bringing the 91st Amendment Act, 2003 which brought about two important changes in India’s politics. The first change is that the size of the cabinet in states was restricted to 15 percent of the total seats in the state Assembly.
Mr Modi highlighted that Atalji changed the political culture of forming very large cabinets to appease political leaders. He said this effort resulted in the saving of money as well as of resources and also helped in improving efficiency.
The second change which was brought is that the limit under the Anti Defection Law was enhanced from one-third to two-thirds and clear guidelines were defined to disqualify a defector Mr Modi also pointed out that it was during Vajpayeeji’s tenure that the timing of presenting the budget was changed from 5 in the evening to 11 in the morning in 2001. Earlier the Budget used to be presented at 5 in the evening as was the British tradition.
The Prime Minister said Vajpayeeji took bold steps to bring about fundamental reforms, whether in election process or about the shortcomings concerning the people’s representatives. Similarly, Mr Modi said, presently efforts are afoot and discussions are being held about simultaneously holding the elections for Lok Sabha and for state assemblies.
The Prime Minister congratulated the players who have won medals for the country in the ongoing Jakarta Asian Games. He said Indian players, are not only performing exceedingly well in shooting and wrestling, but also in Wushu and Rowing. He said, these are not just medals but an evidence of the sky-high spirits of the Indian players.
Mr Modi said, among those winning medals for India are a large number of girls which is a very positive sign. He also mentioned that youngsters of only 15-16 years of age have brought honour to the country by winning medals. He said it is also a very positive indication that most of the medal-winners hail from small towns and villages and have achieved this success by putting in sheer hard work.
Mr Narendra Modi extended best wishes for the National Sports Day which will be celebrated on Wednesday. He also paid tributes to the legendary hockey wizard Dhyanchand. The Prime Minister requested citizens to play and take care of their fitness saying that only a healthy India will build a developed and prosperous India. He said India’s future will be bright only when it is fit.
Speaking about Sanskrit Divas, Mr Modi congratulated all those actively involved in preserving and conserving the glorious heritage, helping it to reach out to the masses. He said, every language has its own significance, sanctity and India takes great pride in the fact that Tamil is the most ancient of world languages.
He said, Indians also feel proud that from Vedic times to the modern day, the Sanskrit language has played a stellar role in the universal spread of knowledge. He said Sanskrit language and literature encompasses a storehouse of knowledge pertaining to every facet of life.
Mr Modi saluted the sense of commitment of teachers towards science, education and students on Teacher’s Day which will be celebrated on the 5th of next month. The Prime Minister also greeted people on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.