New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday marked 25 years of continuous service at the head of government, reflecting on India’s challenges when he entered public life and outlining an ambitious vision for the country by 2047.
Modi took oath as Gujarat Chief Minister on October 7, 2001, beginning a journey that eventually took him to the Prime Minister’s Office. Looking back, he said he never imagined he would reach the milestone of completing 25 years in government.
Recalling India’s economic situation at the time, Modi said there was widespread pessimism about the country’s prospects. He pointed to unstable growth and very high inflation, saying India was viewed as an economy with little hope. He added that the country was also surrounded by negativity and needed to regain confidence in itself.
Modi said the dream of building a developed India by 2047 would become a reality through visionary policies, hard work and collective determination. Repeatedly using the slogan “We Will Do It”, he listed India’s goals of becoming a developed nation, entering the world’s top three economies, becoming self-reliant and emerging as a global manufacturing hub.
He also said India would aim to host the Olympics and make further advances in space. Referring to India’s population of more than 140 crore, Modi said the country’s people themselves would provide the strength and solutions needed to achieve these ambitions.
‘If The Problem Is For Everyone, The Solution Must Be For Everyone’
Modi identified social division along voting lines as one of the country’s major challenges. He questioned whether a farmer without water or a community without electricity experiences such problems differently based on caste or community.
His argument was that when problems affect everyone, their solutions must also be designed for everyone.
Modi also referred to Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who prevented an attempt to crash an Israel-bound flight despite being stabbed by his co-pilot. He said a day would come when the world would speak not only about Indian pilots but also about aircraft made in India.
Reflecting on his political journey, Modi thanked the people for their trust and support and acknowledged BJP workers as his strength. He also expressed gratitude to BJP colleagues, NDA partners and others committed to democracy.
He said political setbacks had also provided important lessons, noting that those who brought him down taught him how to rise again, while those who opposed him showed him the power of democracy. Modi added that no experience in his life had been wasted, as every challenge had taught him something.
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