Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
said that, narrow and sectarian ideologies have “no place in a modern,
progressive and secular country”. He told Pakistan that for relations to
improve, its territory could not be used for anti-India activity.
The first was a veiled
warning to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and RSS fronts that have been
playing a role in recent communal incidents, whether in Bihar’s Bettiah,
Katihar and Nawada or in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar; the second set the
ground rules for dialogue with Pakistan — that India’s western neighbour would
have to honour the commitment made in the joint statement of January 2004.
Dr. Singh may have been
delivering his 10th consecutive Independence Day address from the ramparts of
the historic Red Fort — an achievement in itself — but he made clear he was not
done yet. He said, [we] have journeyed a large distance in the last decade. But
much remains to be done. He stressed, “the process of change that we have
initiated will be continued in the coming time.”
Dr. Singh’s style and
language were characteristically low key, but there was steel in his
assertions, as he listed his government’s achievements, and the role that
Congress-led governments in the past had played in nation-building. It was an
appeal for a third term for the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, as he responded
to criticism by Opposition parties of his policies on economy, foreign relations
and security ahead of general elections due in 2014.
Tributes to Armymen:- Simultaneously, the Prime
Minister described the recent killing of five jawans on the Line of Control as
a “dastardly attack”, promising to “take all possible steps to prevent such
incidents in the future”. Paying tributes to the armed forces and paramilitary
personnel who had “worked in difficult conditions” during the Uttarakhand
tragedy, he paid homage to “the officers and men of the Air Force, ITBP and
NDRF who sacrificed their lives to save others.” He was “deeply pained” over
the loss of 18 brave sailors in the fire that destroyed the submarine, INS
Sindurakshak.
Food security:- Expectedly, the Prime
Minister highlighted the food security programme as “the largest effort of its
kind in the whole world” and the Aadhaar scheme that would help people access
banking facilities and social welfare schemes. Thanks to MGNREGA [Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act], rural wages had increased; MSP
[minimum support price] for wheat and rice had doubled, while the introduction
of MSP for minor forest produce would help tribals; and the rural per capita
consumption in the period 2004 to 2011 had increased four times faster than
earlier. About 2,00,000 km of new roads to connect villages, and over 37,000 km
of new highways to facilitate travel and trade had been added since 2004, while
over 40 airports had been built or upgraded and mobile phone penetration had
gone up from seven per cent to 73 per cent.
Economic slowdown:- While acknowledging that there had been an
economic slowdown, Dr. Singh pointed out that the average rate of growth in the
last nine years had been the fastest since Independence . The government, he said, was
“working hard to remedy the situation,” hastening the process of government
clearances for industry, building an environment more conducive to trade and
industry and increasing investment in the economy. If the Cabinet Committee on
Investment was working to remove hindrances in the way of stalled projects, a
push was being given to new infrastructure projects that include two new ports,
eight new airports, new industrial corridors and rail projects. He promised
that, India ’s
growth will accelerate, new employment opportunities will be generated and
there will be improvements in the infrastructure sector. A new scheme,
targeting one million beneficiaries, under which trained youth will get
financial assistance, was also promised.
Strides in education:- A key section of the Prime
Minister’s speech focused on education: the Right to Education Act had ensured
that almost every child was being imparted education in primary schools, that
the number of those entering college had more than doubled in the last nine
years and scholarships were being given to more than two crore children. In
higher education, eight new IITs, seven new IIMs, 16 new Central universities
and 10 new NITs had opened. There is a need to improve the quality of
education. To achieve this, it is necessary to lay more emphasis on training of
teachers.
Midday meal scheme:- Referring to the recent
midday meal tragedy in Bihar , the Prime
Minister promised reforms in its implementation. He said that, the Midday Meal
scheme will be reformed. The meals being provided to our children should not
only be nutritious but also be cooked hygienically. He added that the
government will take concrete measures to ensure this. Noting that about 11
crore children are being provided afternoon meals everyday in schools under the
midday meal scheme, the Prime Minister said there was need to improve its
implementation. This programme is of immense benefit for both education and
nutrition of children. However, it is necessary to improve its implementation.
The tragedy that happened in Bihar some days
back should not be repeated anywhere in the country. {Twenty three children,
most under 10 years of age, had died after eating midday meal at a school on
July 16 in Saran district of Bihar. The cooking oil used was suspected to be
laced with insecticide.}
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