Most revered, highly respected, and the person from whom I learned a lot, former Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu ji.
Friends, it is easy to emulate his principles and ideals but difficult to get into his shoes. One of the leading personalities of Bharat, home to one-sixth of humanity, a life dedicated to the welfare of the nation, unflinching commitment to ideals, and his heart is in rural India. What I have seen today will ever be in my mind, both for motivation and inspiration, right from the time I stepped on the premises, what did I see? Civilization in action, concern for those who need hand-holding. Can you imagine an idea? A dropout being handheld, a skill being imparted. No wonder the man rightly had an idea 23 years ago, and that's the Swarna Bharat Trust.
उस भारत का सपना आज हम सबके सामने साकार हो रहा है। वेंकैया नायडू जी साधुवाद के पात्र हैं। I have no words to express gratitude to him as a citizen of this country and as Vice President of the nation.
Let me share it with you, a personal moment. I do not know about the many people whom he may have mentored, but both the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and I met together 25 years ago. We both accidentally met at his place. I vividly recollect the words of wisdom, the guidance, and what we should be doing: that is, doing our duty to the nation.
I had no idea when I came here what I would be seeing. One has to see to believe it. Sir, because of you, I am privileged to be part of that group that has set foot in this place, right from former Prime Ministers, present Prime Ministers, Presidents, Governors—who not? One more name has been added, that of Jagdeep Dhankar, a man from a village in Jhunjhunu who has seen all the difficult periods. There were not many to handhold me. I find, sir, you are hand holding those, changing their lives, bringing smiles to their faces. My congratulations.
Swarna Bharat Trust, in its 23rd year, gives the impression that it has been, it seems, decades and decades in existence. Shortly, I look forward to the Silver Jubilee celebration, and I'm sure that will be befitting to the stature of Venkaiah Naidu ji and Swarna Bharat Trust, and the journey will ever be incremental.
क्या सपना देखा था 23 साल पहले स्वर्ण भारत का, वह सपना हमारे सामने पूरा हो रहा है और 2047 की यात्रा, जो है मैराथन मार्च, उस मार्च में, उस महायज्ञ में यहां की आहुति भी बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है। यहां की आहुति संख्यात्मक नहीं है, विचारात्मक है।
I will appeal to everyone in the country to see what is happening here, emulate it, and exemplify it.
Deepa Venkat, the spirit behind it, met her on several occasions. When I met her for the first time, I was a guest at the residence of the Vice President as Governor of the State of West Bengal. We had discussed that. I could make out then that she must be deeply involved in something which is very positive, affirmative, and for society. I had no idea. कितना क्रांतिकारी काम कर रही है किस लग्न से कर रही है| An outstanding feature. it is defining our civilizational commitment to public service. Congratulations to her, her entire team, and may God ever bless her.
Every Indian must believe in economic nationalism, economic nationalism is a facet of Swadeshi; it is a reflection of being vocal for local. Imagine if we believe in economic nationalism, we will have immediate outcomes.
We are importing items that are avoidable, we are importing items—carpets, garments, candles, kites, and toys. In the process, our foreign exchange is going out. We are snatching jobs from our workers when we use an imported item that can be made in this country.
We are impeding our entrepreneurship because that item can be made by our entrepreneurs, by our workers. So my appeal to you is: stop the drain of foreign exchange for avoidable imports, resolve it. Ultimately, the consumer decides but from this podium, I appeal to industry, trade, and commerce: they should take a call on this. That will give work to our people and blossom entrepreneurship.
Friends, another serious issue is natural resources: We must have optimal consumption. We must use petrol not on the strength of our pocket, not on the strength of our economic power, but on the strength of our need. All natural resources in any form must be used optimally.
यदि पैसे की ताकत यह तय करेगी, और हम बेतहाशा खर्चा करेंगे, तो हम आने वाली पीढ़ी को संकट में डाल रहे हैं। आर्थिक फायदे के लिए देश की अर्थव्यवस्था को किसी भी तरीके से कमजोर करना बुद्धिमता नहीं है।
We will have to have a culture, we will alway have to keep nation first, we will have to keep the nation above political interest, above self-interest, and above economic interest. I have no doubt that this will be brought about.
Our country abounds in natural resources but it is very painful when we export raw material. Look at the ports—our iron ore is going, we don't add value to it. In the process, we damage employment potential. Some people, only to make easy money, quick money, don't add value to it as a nation, we cannot afford it. I am sure enough attention will be given to all issues.
मैं यह बातें पहली बार नहीं उठा रहा हूं। माननीय वेंकैया नायडू जी ने समय-समय पर साधारण तरीके से, तीखे तरीके से, इन बातों को संसद में कहा है, सार्वजनिक मंचों पर कहा है। मैं यह बातें यहां पर इसलिए कहीं क्योंकि जो मैंने यहां देखा, आपने जो कहा, वह कागजी नहीं है, वह जमीनी हकीकत है।
I heard him on occasion say these things but coming here, I realised what he said. It's a ground reality here. This can be an epicentre of change. It can trigger a big change in the country. I have no doubt—I may formally not be a member of this trust, but I am its foot soldier. I am its foot soldier because the trust is realising the preamble of the Indian Constitution.
आज के दिन आवश्यकता है ज़मीन पर करके दिखाने की—वो करके दिखाने की जो आम आदमी की ज़िंदगी में बदलाव लाए। उस व्यक्ति की जमीनी हकीकत में बदलाव लाए, जिसने उम्मीद ही छोड़ दी है।
I wish the trust great success. I wish the trust something amazing. और मुझे पता है, जब भारत अपनी आजादी की शताब्दी मना रहा होगा, विकसित भारत के रूप में, उसके 2 साल बाद यह ट्रस्ट भी अपनी गोल्डन जुबली मना रहा होगा। Some of us may not be around, but it will be number one in the country. I have no doubt about it.
Let me conclude with inspirational words of wisdom from the Rig Veda: संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं सं वो—let us move together, let us speak in one voice and I add, let us always speak for the nation. Let us always keep the nation above everything else.
Some people in the country, for reasons which are not appropriate, have put their political interest above national interest. Let us hope and pray they get wiser; they get counsel from those sacrifices, supreme sacrifices, which were made for this freedom, which has to be nurtured every moment so that it can blossom.
बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद, सभी को नमस्कार, सभी को प्रणाम।
