Modi 2.0 Completes One Year

Marking the first anniversary of his second successive full majority government at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a letter addressed to all Indians, reminded them not only of the bold decisions taken by his government in the last year, but, in a reference to COVID-19, urged them to “remember that the present and future of 130 crore people will never be dictated by an adversity”. “In a crisis of this magnitude, it can certainly not be claimed that no one suffered any inconvenience or discomfort. Our labourers, migrant workers, artisans and craftsmen in small scale industries, hawkers and such fellow countrymen have undergone tremendous suffering,” he wrote in a letter addressed to the Nation. He recapped the many decisions taken by his second successive government in its first year, describing the vote as one for continuity of the work his government had done between 2014-19. “(The dilution of ) Article 370 furthered the spirit of national unity and integration. The Ram Mandir judgment, delivered unanimously by the Honourable Supreme Court of India, brought an amicable end to a debate persisting for centuries. The barbaric practice of Triple Talaq has been confined to the dustbin of history. Amendment to the Citizenship Act was an expression of India’s compassion and spirit of inclusiveness,” he wrote. For the future, the Prime Minister Modi dwelt at length over the economic challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the spirit of self reliance or atmanirbharta was the only way forward. He added that the initiatives announced by his government as part of the ?20-lakh-crore package will “usher in a new era of opportunities for every Indian, be it our farmers, workers, small entrepreneurs or youth associated with start ups.” He signed off quoting a Sanskrit Shloka that translated to “if we have action and duty on one hand, then success is assured on the other”.